Thinking outside the box a money maker for men’s shed

LEOPOLD Men’s Shed member Sam Sopovski has started selling bird boxes, firewood kindling and raised garden boxes from his own home as an extension of the organisation’s after hours service, and it’s proving very popular.

Mr Sopovski said he volunteered to sell the wooden products from his own driveway to help raise more money for the organisation, which is only open a few hours during the week.

“To expand our sales I offered to use my premises, it’s the perfect opportunity to make extra funds for the men’s shed, and it’s worked so well,” Mr Sopovski said.

“We make kindling at the shed, so if I get home and I’m bored, I’ll cut up some wood and make some bird boxes.

“The plain ones take about 45 minutes and the painted ones just over an hour. I try doing a variety for different birds and different sizes, some raw and some painted. They’ve made a couple of thousand dollars from the start of the year.”

Mr Sopovski joked that when members heard about a mouse plague in Leopold a suggestion was made to make some mouse poison boxes.

“We sold four in about four weeks,” he laughed.

Mr Sopovski has been a member of the Leopold Men’s Shed for the past five years.

He said it currently had about 70 members, but that they needed some more “older fellas” to join.

At the men’s shed, the activities, company of mates and general chatter make an important contribution to the lives and wellbeing of its members.

If you are interested in checking them out, feel free to visit and enjoy the warm atmosphere of the Coonara blazing away, coffee machine and the jokes and laughter, which is always a part of the shed atmosphere.

The shed is located next to Club Italia, 515 Bellarine Highway, Leopold and is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, between 10am and midday.

If you would like more information, contact Mr Sopovski on 0414 412 951.