The ACT’s first women’s shed finds a permanent home in Greenway
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Four years after first launching at Thor’s Hammer in Griffith, the ACT’s first and only women’s shed has found a permanent home.
It’s been a long time coming for the Women’s Shed Canberra (WSC).
Launched in September 2020 by Sunita Kotnala to inspire and provide women with the opportunity to develop new abilities that would help to improve their day-to-day lives, the Women’s Shed Canberra has grown phenomenally since its inception.
Originally kicking off at Thor’s Hammer in Griffith, before launching the Mobile Women’s Shed in 2023, and workshops at the Kambah Scouts Hall in 2024, WSC has helped hundreds of women develop skills in home repair and maintenance while inspiring them to consider careers in construction and building trades.
Now permanently located at the WAVE Centre building next to Sea Scouts in Greenway, the hope is the bigger, permanent space will allow more women to get involved through more paid workshops and help WSC grow into a self-sustaining social enterprise.
“While we have been very happy at Thor’s Hammer and want to thank Thor Diesendorf, the owner, for giving us workshop space every Saturday, we have to move out because of the growing needs of our venture,” explains Sunita.
“I invite women of all backgrounds, ethnicities, orientations, and abilities to meet at our new shed to get inspired, create, and build things.”
Thrilled by the excitement of WSC members following the announcement of the new location, Sunita says watching the programs be embraced by the local community has been amazing.
“We began our life during COVID-19 restrictions as feelings of isolation, loss of connection and community gripped women in the ACT,” she says.
“Since then, we have provided opportunities for women to develop new skills and abilities and be mentored in an environment where they feel safe and nurtured.”
From learning how to build a picture frame to installing and replacing door locks, any woman aged 18 years and over can take place in the mental health and wellbeing-focused workshops.
Now open, with more workshops, more tools, and more space for creativity, visit womensshedcanberra.com.au for more information.
