The Capel CWA and the Brunswick Men’s Shed have been working hand-in-hand to bring a caravan back to life

A collaborative caravan construction effort has allowed the Capel Country Women’s Association to get back on the road again. Members of the CCWA and the Brunswick Men’s Shed have been working hand-in-hand to give the van its unique look, with the women hoping to use it as a way to reach the wider community as well as store some of their gear. CCWA vice-president and secretary Toni Steinbrenner said it was wonderful to be working with the Brunswick Men’s Shed, and the men had managed to build it perfectly to their specially developed plans. “We’ve been looking for someone for a long time and they’ve come to the party so it’s been really, really great. We have somewhere to hang all of our certificates and things now,” she said. The CCWA received a $1000 grant from Bendigo Bank to add to its own funds and Bunnings Australind also chipped in and provided the men with supplies such as timber and flooring. “We’ve used those funds to pay for the remaining materials and we’re going to give the Men’s Shed a little extra today as a thank you,” Ms Steinbrenner said. Brunswick Men’s Shed has spent the past four weeks working hard to get the interior of the van finished in time for the Capel Makers Trail. Men’s Shed member Eric Browne said the project was a lot of fun and it was good to see it done after the CCWA had been chasing it for so long. “It was a bit of a daunting object first up when we backed it in there, but then once we got going and got the boys cutting timber, it suddenly went together like that,” he said.