MEN’S Sheds benefit both their members and the communities they serve.

Members get out and socialise while doing practical and constructive things: much of what they make goes to the community.

There are about 500 Men’s Sheds in the UK, but each is fixed in one place and if you do not live near one, you cannot join in.

Basingstoke Shed is changing all that.

They are going to fit out a double decker bus so it can work as a mobile Shed.

Known as Shed-in-a-Bus, it will pay regular visits to a selection of communities in and around Basingstoke where there is no fixed Shed. People in those communities will be able to join and visit the Shed, whenever it’s in town.

Since the beginning of the year, the group has received the promise of a bus and has raised £2,000 to get the project started, but they need more help.

For example they would like to get someone to give their drivers some tuition on driving it.

Something else they need help with is storage. While they have an offer of somewhere to keep the bus, it is not as secure as they would like. If any reader knows of anywhere in the Basingstoke area where they can keep the bus securely, they would be pleased to hear from them.

Other ways people can get involved in the project include becoming a member of Basingstoke Shed or by making a donation. Go to shed-in-a-bus.org.uk.

To help or to know more about this project that will help people get out of the house, call Mike on 07767 396316 or visit the website.