Wooden toys will be gifted to needy Tauranga families in time for Christmas, thanks to a whole lot of Tauranga goodness.

Legacy Trust has approved a funding grant for the Men's Shed Charitable Trust, which will see $5000 put towards manufacturing the toys, which will then be distributed by St Vincent de Paul Society.

The Men's Shed Charity Trust trustee, Legacy funeral director Darin Friis, and Men's Shed manager Dave Harper and Neville Abbott with some of the toys they have made. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Legacy funeral director Darin Friis says it is the second consecutive year Legacy has assisted the Men's Shed in this endeavour. It is an initiative well worth supporting more than once, he says, as it is great to see not only happy children, but charitable groups working collaboratively for the good of the community.

Tauranga's Men's Shed, based at the Historic Village, is a place where a group of men, passionate about helping others can share their practical skills in ways assisting the community.

Thirty-one men, aged 65 and over with a wide variety of skills, gather and collectively volunteer about 280 hours each week. They put their handyman skills to work on a whole host of projects that benefit a wide number of community groups and organisations.

Those on the receiving end include hospice shops (reparation of saleable goods), Age Concern, The Elms Foundation, Brain Injury Association, Cancer Society, Salvation Army, pre-schools and kindergartens, to name but a few.

The Men's Shed team currently includes woodworkers, builders, joiners, engineers, electricians, plumbers, handymen, a watchmaker and a veterinarian, and their workflow is continuous, says Men's Shed manager David Harper.

'The greatest thrill for the man attending the Shed is that they are still able to contribute, in a very worthwhile way, to the Community of Tauranga. The Shed provides a focus, creates self-worth and comradery amongst the gents.”