It's a typical day at the Leopold Men's Shed and the scene perfectly sums up what the shed is all about.
"It's men working together, but 'working' is not the emphasis," says president Ian MacLeod.
"There's certainly no forced labour here. If you come down to the shed you can sit there, have a chat and do nothing, but if you want to do something, go for it.
"Some just come in to sit around the Coonara and solve the problems of the world, and others are on the tools or in the garden beds."
Located next to the Italian Social Club on the Bellarine Highway, the men's shed opens from 10am to 12pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
"But you'll often find some blokes getting there as early as 7am – they're very enthusiastic," Ian says.
"And the card games are often still going at 2pm!"
The shed's 70-odd members are a mix of people from all walks of life. There are ex-school teachers and bank managers, as well as former tradies, with ages ranging from 50 to 80.
"There's no politics, no alcohol, just a great group of blokes who enjoy catching up with one another."
"We have a rule that there is no such thing as private conversation, so if two people are talking, you can go up and join them. We have very few problems here."
To cover the rent and electricity costs, the group sells kindling, garden boxes and other products.
"Bunnings donate their pallets to us," Ian says. "We chip it down and sell it as kindling for six dollars a bag, which is less than half of what you'd pay at the shops."
Ian says the Leopold Men's Shed also works closely with the local community on a range of projects.
"We help build things for the local schools and those sorts of things. We're also about to make tasting paddles for Flying Brick Cider Co.
"A while back, we were approached by a lady who does a lot of volunteer work and asked us to create a cart where the community could exchange homegrown fruit and veggies. Using only recycled materials, our members created a four-tiered cart with a scalloped edge blind. She was over the moon when she saw it.
"Last year, one of our members wanted to make timber Christmas trees, so we made 20 of those out of the pallets and they flew out the door. We're limited only by imagination and will look at any idea."
Ian says the men's shed has been a lifeline to many. "All of the time guys say to me, 'thank god I found you blokes' or, 'if it wasn't for the shed I wouldn't be here.' There are a lot of blokes out there suffering from depression.
"The pandemic was difficult, as a lot of blokes need the contact, especially if they're on their own as their wives have died. So during lockdown they all started ringing around and checking on each other. We have a designated welfare officer."
Mateship is the overarching theme here. It's clear they've all got each other's backs.
"One of our members is an ex paramedic so he does regular health checks, testing everyone's blood pressure, oxygen levels and that sort of thing," Ian says.
"He keeps a record of it so if there are any changes he sends us off to the doctor.
"The shed is a very welcoming place and the members love it. I wanted to shut it over Christmas but they wouldn't have it!"
