COOMERA, AUSTRALIA – Riviera is famed world-wide for the quality of the timberwork in our motor yachts.
All of the cabinetry, doors and timber linings utilised aboard Rivieras are built on site at our highly sophisticated and automated routing and varnishing facility.
Inevitably there are off- cuts, but nothing goes to waste.
Six years ago, Riviera formed a partnership with the Labrador Men’s Shed to take timber off-cuts from which the Shed members create their own masterpieces.
Len Thomson, Secretary of the Labrador Men’s Shed, said: “One of the most valuable commodities to a Men’s Shed is a supply of quality timber.
“We now pick up timber off-cuts from Riviera every fortnight and we truly appreciate the quality – and quantity – of the timbers they provide to us.”
To celebrate this relationship, Riviera and the Labrador Men’s Shed organised a tour of the Riviera facility during the National Men’s Shed Conference held on the Gold Coast recently.
The tour was attended by 32 delegates including five from the Labrador Men’s Shed and others from all over Australia, one from New Zealand and two all the way from Ireland.
Len Thomson said the Riviera tour was the most talked about during the days of the conference.
The Men’s Shed organisation was founded in Australia in the early 1990s and has grown to nearly 1,000 Sheds across Australia.
“Men’s Sheds are about health and wellbeing,” explains Len Thomson. “A Men’s Shed offers a welcoming, non-judgemental environment where men can work on projects for themselves or for the community at their own pace in the company of others.”
He said the concept has now spread internationally with Sheds in Ireland, England, New Zealand, Canada, the US, in Scandinavia, Holland and Africa.
Len explains that the timber collected from Riviera is put to use by the Shed for community work and is available for members to purchase at mate’s rates for their own projects. This money goes towards funding the Shed.
“Examples of our work using the timber donated by Riviera include stepping boxes for Gold Coast University and Robina Hospitals. These are used for stroke victims to recover mobility.
“We have built easels for a community art group and possum boxes for Wild Care. We make cutting boards and toys for sale to raise Shed funds. We also donate some of our toys.
Right: A display cabinet at the Maritime Museum in Brisbane.
“We run a mentoring programme for the Labrador State School and use the timber. We have also made patrol boxes for the local Parkwood Scouts.”
Len said some of the timbers have also been used to build a display case at the Maritime Museum in Brisbane.
