For more than four years the Newcastle Men’s Shed has been looking for a place to call home.

With the support of Hamilton’s business community and the team at the local branch at Westpac, the shedders have a new home in Beaumont Street.

Hamilton Business Association Chair, Janice Musumeci, another fellow Board Member, and previous Branch Manager of the bank heard about the Men’s Shed plight and worked to find a solution.

The pair worked for several months to secure an unused and separate 300 square metre space currently leased by the bank.

In late September, Westpac handed over the keys to 99 Beaumont Street to the Newcastle Men’s Shed for a peppercorn rent of about $1 annually.

Janice Musumeci said that one of the Association’s key drivers was to fill shops.

“The Men’s Shed will bring a great sense of community to Hamilton. We have had a long association with the Shed and are so pleased to welcome them into the Hamilton business precinct,” she said.

The previous Westpac Branch Manager, Evan Reid, said that it was vital to support the community and this was their way of being able to give back.

“It’s important for Westpac Banking Corporation to achieve their vison of making sure that we can do everything we can to help people, businesses and local communities in any way we can.”

President of the Newcastle Men’s Shed, Neville Pollock, said that in the last five years the Men’s Shed has moved five times – so to finally find a space that is more permanent and central is a blessing.

“We are really excited to have a shop front where we can sell and display a lot of our work as well as the work of other Men’s Shed in the Hunter region,” he said.

“We also plan to set up an internet workshop for the elders in the community to help them out with things like internet banking.”

The Newcastle Men’s Shed new workshop is located at 99 Beaumont Street, Hamilton and is open to the public.

IMAGE | Wayne Grant receiving the keys to 99 Beaumont Street from Evan Reid.