About Us

The Noosa Women’s Shed was the initial brainchild of a determined mother-daughter duo, Anne and Fiona McComb. Their vision was to empower women, through tool-based learning, to develop skills that would develop their confidence and independence.

In 2017 a small group of women started to garner interest in a Women’s Shed for the Noosa Community.

They received positive feedback from the community which spurred them on. Local clubs were lobbied in the search for a suitable meeting/workspace. U3A and the CWA hall were trialed. Unfortunately, both venues were too small to operate as a shed.

The members stuck to their guns. Their vision was a workshop where women could use tools with safety and confidence.

In 2020 Covid hit and the group almost folded. The reigns were then handed to a new committee. They were tasked with finding a suitable workshop and growing the membership.

In 2022 the group moved to the Cooroy Village Community Hall. Access was given to a small shed, but again it was limiting.

The committee still focused on their goal. Membership increased. Publicity increased. More people offered to share their expertise. The Noosa Women’s Shed formed an alliance with the Noosa Men’s Shed. Information sharing really took off.

Grants were applied for and won.

In 2022 the Noosa Women’s Shed hard work started to pay off. The Commonwealth Bank started the ball rolling with a donation. A first aid kit and advertising banner were purchased. Rotary donated a Defibrillator next. They applied for and won a grant with the Noosa Shire Council. That money was used to purchase a trailer and tools for the group. Noosa Seniors (formerly Noosa Community Support Centre) then offered use of their shed and meeting area. Then discussions started with Unity Water. In August 2022 Unity Water granted a deed of licence on a parcel of land in Wallum Lane, Noosa Heads and they also gave a grant of $5000. The club’s second raffle was held in late 2022. The goal, to raise money to build a shed.

In 2023 the Noosa Women’s Shed experienced new growth. Word was spreading. A successful social media campaign kicked off. More women joined. The Noosa Men’s Shed mentored us. Under their guidance we started tool accreditation and project building sessions. In July 2023 we started passing our skills onto other members. We began our own training and project building sessions. Women teaching women. In August 2023 the Community Gambling Benefit Fund agreed to fund our vision. We are building our own shed! In December the land in Wallum Lane has been cleared. The contract to build our new shed has been signed. The deposit paid.

Look out 2024 – Noosa Women’s Shed will be operating out of our own shed.

The future looks bright.

• To have an appropriate safe and well-equipped permanent women’s shed facility
• To provide a safe and inclusive environment, regardless of circumstances, where women can relax and be nurtured by other women to help empower them to move forward and thrive
• To promote support and enhance the social, emotional, and physical well-being of women of all generations and backgrounds
• To empower, mentor and support women with tool-based skills for continued independence and growth
• To provide ongoing instruction and training to those members wanting to raise their skill level
• To focus on women’s physical and mental health and well-being issues, by providing qualified speakers to address appropriate topics and to provide information on where to access information about services within our community
• To gain the help of physical and mental health and well-being professionals as and when required
• To encourage the discovery and sharing of each women’s own unique skills, gifts and talents
• To be aware of and address issues pertaining to loneliness, depression, and isolation in unemployed, retired, or new to the district members
• To enable women to feel valued and have purpose by contributing to their community by providing support to other women by assisting them with tasks/jobs they require

• To be highly responsive to our member’s needs
• To support and empower our members
• To promote the health and well-being of our members
• To have participatory decision-making processes
• To value and respect all members

December 19th 2022 – Source Channel 7 Sunshine Coast News

“Unitywater has had a hand in supporting the future of the Noosa Women’s Shed by providing them with land they can call home.“

Unitywater has had a hand in supporting the future of the Noosa Women’s Shed by providing them with land they can call home.

It complements a similar land leasing agreement and occupation of unused Unitywater buildings that helped the Noosa Men’s Shed to get up and running back in 2014.

Noosa Women’s Shed President Robyn Sanders welcomed the recent support and what it means for the community and the challenges increasingly faced by women.

“Unitywater has very generously given us a deed of license to a piece of land, which will see us get our own shed,” Ms Sanders said.

“We’re hoping to have a multi-purpose shed we can finally call home and a base for our members. It will mean so much.

“We’re about empowering women with tool-based skills, helping them stay independent and not isolated, being able to fix things around the home. It’s also about connection and having somewhere to go that’s safe.”

Unitywater has a long and rewarding association with Men’s Sheds in its service region, having previously supported Sheds in Maroochydore, Coolum, Noosa, Pomona and Deception Bay.

Unitywater Executive Manager Customer and Community Katherine Gee said this was another great opportunity to support a worthy community organisation.

“At Unitywater, we want to support the communities where we live and work by keeping them healthy,” she said.

“One of the key areas we are passionate about is mental health and wellbeing. When people need that contact and are craving a network, these groups are incredibly supportive and helpful.

“In addition to the land we are providing, Noosa Women’s Shed is receiving a $5000 Unitywater community grant to get them up and running. We’re really looking forward to seeing them grow so they can continue to educate, connect and empower women.

“Our grants program is about supporting social and nature-based initiatives that keep communities healthy and make a real impact in our region.”