Mullumbimby’s Community Shedding workshop has received the Resilient Australia National Mental Health and Wellbeing Award from the Australia Institute of Disaster Relief (AIDR), following their work after the 2022 flood.
The award centred on the repair cafe work that facilitated the recovery, which included repair and redistribution of items including fridges, washing machines, and furniture, as well as large-scale equipment such as generators, chainsaws, and dehumidifiers.
The restoration of invaluable sentimental personal belongings was also part of the recovery.
Traumatised
Accepting the award, Community Shedding founder, Sophie Wilksch, said that, ‘After the 2022 floods, our workshop was adapted to support hundreds of people with thousands of repairs over six weeks.’
‘We had literally hundreds of people coming to us for our repair services.
‘But also when they came to us for our repair services, they were people who were severely traumatised, so it became quite evident to us that at the same time as supporting them with repairs we also needed to support them with their wellbeing.
‘There was something that clicked for me, I realised it is not about the repairs, it is about people coming together. I think the reason that I realised that is because of people with stories.
‘It is so personal. Every single person who walks into that space has an incredible story.
‘So it was a sort of care hub for everyone to do something where they had a sense of purpose, where they had a collective, sustainable goal.’
To find out more about Community Shedding or get involved visit www.shedding.com.au.
