Ballarat East Community Men's Shed members handcraft toys for Syrian refugees

After being approached by a group called Aussies Knitting for War Affected Children about two months ago, members of the Ballarat East Community Men's Shed have been busy cutting, nailing and gluing together pieces of wood to create an array of more than 100 toys.

Project lead, Alan Buchanan, said a group of men - Bernard Franken, Paul Tims, David Carpenter, David Lacy, Bill Sharp, Gordon Vincent, John Saul and Rodney Sheean - had dedicated their time to the project, even making toys in their spare time at home.

"Everyone has had a project and has been working together," he said.

Mr Buchanan said the project was positive as it involved men in Ballarat working together and gaining companionship, all the while working on a goodwill project for people in need.

"We think about these poor little kids in Syria, living in mud and squalor and with bombs dropped on them and shootings around them. It's heartbreaking, really."

With some donated materials from Creswick Road's Bunnings Warehouse, the group of toymakers consisted of mostly fathers and grandfathers - the initiative to make toys for Syrian children resonated with them.

"We are a bunch of old fellas in a lucky country who are more than happy to look after kiddies in a not so lucky country to extend our love to them."

Some of the men were already "very experienced" at toy making, having done it for their own children or to sell.

The focus has been on making smaller toys, such as pull along cars and animals, that will be easier to ship.

"We have made things that can be held in a hand or on the end of a string," Mr Buchanan explained.

Without much time to plan for this year's effort, some of the men have also bought toys to send, including spinning tops, yoyos and skipping ropes.

It is planned that these toys, which are quite time consuming to create, will be handmade when the group participates in the initiative again next year.

Mr Buchanan "loves his kids and animals" and this is part of the reason he feels so passionate about helping those facing challenges.

He encouraged others with the means to do so to consider it and proposed potentially starting up a toy making working bee to donate to children both in Australia and abroad.

"I'd extend the challenge to everyone to start looking into helping people all around the world because we are the lucky country.

"They've got nothing and my intention, and I'm sure that of all the other blokes doing this, is to put a smile on their faces."

The group was hard at work packing the toys into boxes on Saturday, which will soon be transported to Melbourne.

The Syrian Association of Victoria has raised money for two shipping containers, which are fast being filled by people from across Australia.

While temperatures plummet, many people and children live without basic winter clothing or footwear to stay warm and often live among a number of families in the one tent.

The handcrafted toys will be sent as part of a shipment to enrich the lives of people living in the camps - the shipment will also include toiletries, gumboots, bedding and knitted clothing.

The shipment is expected to leave Melbourne in September, before the harsh winter sets in.

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