Ben’s Shed in Yarra Junction will boost its cooking capacity and workshop safety after a successful grant application from the State Government.
On 24 October Ben’s Shed president Greg Burnham found out his community men’s shed received over $40,000 from the State Government 2025-26 Men’s Shed Funding Program.
He said it was a “tremendous” feeling and he was excited to see what opportunities will open up in the future.
Upgrades to the kitchen’s range hood, oven and hot plates meant he’d be able to accommodate for an increase in popularity towards lunches on a Wednesday.
“Our popularity, if you like, for lunches on Wednesdays is increasing. More people are coming by,” he said.
By extending the cooking facilities by 300 millimeters, the Ben’s Shed members could put on a bigger feast to feed more mouths.
“That will give us the ability then to, instead of feeding 15, 16 people for lunch, it will give us the ability then to feed 20 plus,” he said.
Monday morning breakfasts will also reap the benefits too.
Mr Burnham had just returned from a trip when got the call.
“I wrote the bid and put it in, and that was closed on the 7th of July. Three days later, the wife and I took ourselves off to Cooktown.
“We just put the application in and prayed,” Mr Burnham said.
The grant will also fund some much needed safety upgrades to the table saw and computer numerical control machine.
The computer numerical control machine, which carves into wood following instructions from a computer, was down as the computer itself wouldn’t boot.
“That machine out there has been cobbled together over the years, and it’s down at the moment because you can’t boot the computer.
“So it’s timely that we get it replaced.”
The table panel saw will be downsized to a smaller model and other safety features for the machines in the workshop will also be funded by the grant.
Mr Burnham said men’s sheds were important as they gave older men transitioning into retirement a helping hand to deal with the difficult period.
“When a man particularly retires or gets into that bracket of retirement, he’ll end up going home and sitting on his own.
“Generally speaking, there is a certain amount of the individual being lost in himself. Suddenly you’ve lost your identity and that transition is extremely difficult.”
The Ben’s Shed offers men a chance to socialize and lean on others when times are tough.
“It’s a chance for someone just to drop in, be it a member or a non-member, it doesn’t matter.”
Alongside the Ben’s Shed being a place to connect, it also provides a cut firewood service and runs programs for primary school kids in years five to six.
“That also gives the members, after they’ve got their volunteer Working With Children Checks,, the ability to be a grandfather and be that kind of mentor grandfather figure.
“The kids really respond to it.”
Mr Burnham also thanked member for Casey Aaron Violi, State Liberal member for Eildon Cindy McLeish and Yarra Ranges Council mayor Jim Child for their help with the application.
“We wrote a fairly good bid,” he said.
