The Manual Activity Centre North Albury
Manual Arts Centre (MAC) -North Albury
A return trip to Holland where an Albury man saw
his former employer create a work space for retirees was the instigator for the
City's Manual Activity Centre.
The Centre was opened in North
Albury in 1978 and set up by our Rotary club as a place to socialise and learn and share skills
.
It's recently been extended with a metal workshop facility added.
Fondly known as MAC, Vice
President Frank Lange says the idea came from Rotarian Jim Dekruiff.
Lange says on a visit to Holland
(where Dekruiff was born) Dekruiff took a tour of his old workplace and
discovered his former employer had opened up a part of the factory for retirees
to meet.
The Directors of the factory
decided it was a good way for former employees to beat loneliness and the feeling
of uselessness in retirement.
Dekruiff loved the idea and on
his return to Albury mentioned it to fellow
Rotarian Doug Delarue who said "We
can do that!" and the Manual Activity Centre was created.
Albury City took over the Centre
in 2002 and has leased it to Age Concern Albury Wodonga since 2005.
President of Age Concern Albury
Wodonga Celia Bevan says MAC is an important part of the community.
"For something like thirty
years we have been involved with programs in the community where people can
pursue what interests them; hobbies, education and a whole range of activities.
"A centre like this, a
manual activities centre, is really important for people who have manual skills
and want to
keep them up or for people who want to come in and learn those
skills. "Bevan says the MAC is for all
ages.
Along with the new metal working
space there are other programs including woodwork sessions, sewing groups and
mentoring programs available to the public.
Lange says the centre is not-for-profit."It's the greatest place in
the world to spend a few hours.
"We are more than happy to
do community work.
"One chap repaired skeletons
for Albury High School, they (the school) brought all the parts in a box and
one gentleman spent hours sitting in this room putting it together, Keith got a
lot of pleasure out if it and we learnt a lot about the body!"
"I think one of the great
things here is the acceptance of everybody, nobody is in competition, they all
accept each other."