With a passion for recycling, puzzles and woodwork, Ryan Gilligan transforms old floorboards and discarded pieces of wood into fun and functional cheeseboards.

Step one: scout wood mill discard piles, buy second-hand flooring or sometimes items from around the home, like a broken chair.

Step two: prepare the wood, use a metal detector to ensure there are no nails, trim the edges with the table saw, and then cut to length using the drop-saw.

Things then get a bit sticky, with lengths being glued and clamped together. Next up, the waiting game; two days to dry, then the wood is planed to smooth on both sides.

A big decision comes next: what shape to make the board. A stencil is placed before using the bandsaw and drill press. The board is sanded and trimmed, and any holes are filled before more sanding and sealing.

Finally, you have a beautifully handcrafted bespoke cheeseboard, created into the shape of one of Ryan’s favourite things. The first board was created in the image of his beloved cat, Misty; since then, more animals have come along, as well as shapes inspired by pastimes like puzzle pieces and basketballs.

Initially sharing the boards with friends and family, Ryan started selling his works, which can be found at Smith’s Alternative and on his RecycleAbilities website. Custom orders can be made; the wait-time is a bit over a month and each piece is a labour of love.

After graduating from school in 2020, the options available to Ryan were limited and weren’t what his family felt were best for him. Unable to secure work through a disability employment service provider, Ryan was offered part-time placements in disability programs.

“I’ve seen many young people like Ryan that are unable to find employment and fall between the cracks. Expectations for them are low and they either end up in day-care programs or at home with little to do. We truly believe that Ryan, despite his challenges, can be a contributing member of society,” says Ryan’s mum, Corinna Gilligan.

Not wanting Ryan to go backwards and knowing he was capable of doing more, his family were determined to find something that would work with Ryan, not against him. Corinna says it was a matter of observing Ryan’s strengths and passions and building something around that and not concentrating on the fact that he was a young man on the autism spectrum.

Supported by the NDIS, Ryan was able to undertake work experience and volunteering opportunities and his love of woodwork came to the surface. It is under the guidance of mentor and carer Gerry Andrews at the Men’s Shed in Belconnen that Ryan creates his cheeseboards.

A chance meeting brought Corinna and Gerry together, meeting through one of Gerry’s clients who Corinna visited through the Red Cross volunteering program. Having a chat, the pair decided Ryan and Gerry would be a great fit.

“I thought that Ryan, just from the chats with Corinna, Ryan might be interested in one of the activities I used to do, at the computer recycling place and we did that for a while,” says Gerry.

With a strong woodworking background, Gerry says he is at the Men’s Shed almost as often as it is open. Never meeting a tool he didn’t like, Gerry took to the craft like a duck to water.

“For me, when I see a piece of wood, sometimes it just kind of tells me what it wants to be or that the challenge of getting it to conform … It’s like I see pieces of wood and they just kind of want to be something and so I’ll let that happen,” says Gerry.

He brought Ryan to practise some woodwork during their time together and noticed that woodwork had more future potential than computer recycling; changing gears, they moved all their sessions together to the Men’s Shed.

“Most of our time is making those animal or novelty-shaped food boards. We do a little bit of community work as well, for example, one of the ways the Men’s Shed helps support itself is we make possum boxes. Sometimes, Ryan and I put our hands up for that as well,” says Gerry.

While Ryan has limited verbal language and is sensitive to noise, he thrives in the Men’s Shed environment. Corinna says that on the morning he spends with Gerry at the shed, Ryan is ready and waiting with his bags packed and an idea of what they could make that day.

“As a young person with an intellectual disability, he is quite often undervalued, whereas in this environment and with doing his boards it’s turned the tables for him. He is now a normal young person going to the Men’s Shed and he is creating something of value that other people like and that means a lot to him,” says Corinna.

The woodworking business is just one part of the micro-enterprise; the other sees Ryan delve further into his recycling passion. At home, he is known as the Chief Recycler, policing the recycling bin to ensure only the right items go in. He collects containers that are eligible for the 10c container deposit scheme from businesses and locals in Canberra’s north. At the end of each month, numbers are tallied, and once business expenses are covered, Ryan donates the remaining funds to charities.

“Ryan and I watch the news in the mornings,” says Corinna. “It never stops amazing me that although he is unable to process the language on the TV he sees the pictures and understands that people are in distress and need. I love the fact that when it comes to choosing his charities at the end of each month, he goes for an appeal that is topical and relevant like the Syria and Türkiye Earthquake”

An avid lover of animals, Ryan also makes donations to the local RSPCA and ACT Wildlife as well. Corinna says by donating to help others, Ryan feels part of his world and community and broadens his horizons.

“It gives Ryan a socially valuable role, making him feel that he’s accepted, that he has something to offer,” says Corinna.

She says the ultimate goal of Ryan’s recycling and woodwork projects would be for him to achieve independence from disability payments and supports, though it is still a way off. While it might not be paying all the bills yet, it is providing Ryan with an avenue of independence and self-confidence.

“Having focused on his passion for recycling and his interests and abilities in woodwork Ryan has been able to manifest he is very capable and is creating really novel cheeseboards each with its own unique story of origin,” smiles Corinna.

Find Ryan’s cheeseboards and more information about RecycleAbilities here.

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