By Dongyun Kwon
Badger Creek and District Men’s Shed (BCDMS) provides a safe, active and supportive environment where members can build friendships while having a chat and working on projects shoulder to shoulder.
BCDMS now has about 50 members.
BCDMS president Alan Jones said they have regular meetings every Monday and Wednesday.
“We sit around the table, have a yarn, a cup of tea and a biscuit in the meeting room. Then we do our projects that we’re working on in the shed,” he said.
“A typical day would be until about midday and then we come back here [the meeting room] and spend maybe another hour having lunch and chatting around the table.”
Other than the regular meetings, there is a photography group meeting every Friday.
Currently, BCDMS members are working on the park bench project and a few jobs that are requested by community members like restoring a lampstand.
BCDMS sells the products that they make to get profits to help operate the shed.
“Our membership is quite low compared to our running expenses,” Mr Jones said.
“So, it’s necessary for us to take on these projects and do other work in order to survive.”
BCDMS supports the community in diverse ways.
They invite Badger Creek Primary School students to the shed every Thursday to teach carpentry skills as well as look after the grounds around their shed, Badger Creek Community Hall and Badger Creek CFA station.
The president said they want to improve the shed.
“We’ve got a couple of projects going on at the moment [such as the upgrade of the staircase],” he said.
“We’re also working on improving our air quality and we’re very hopeful that we might get a dust removal.”
Men’s Shed representatives all across Yarra Ranges will have a meeting on 21 June at the BCDMS to discuss how to help one another.
