TEST Valley Men’s Shed has received a boost from being featured on the BBC.

Test Valley Men’s Shed, based in Laverstoke, is an organisation where people, mostly men, can meet up with new people and work on building projects.

The group featured on BBC South Today on Thursday, February 9, broadcast all over the south of England.

The short video piece on the group was also put on the BBC South Today’s Facebook page, where it achieved nearly 20,000 views. People saw how the project affected members like John Galloway and Dave John, who were interviewed as they helped to fix the tennis pavilion in Laverstoke where they are based.

Bob Hough, the chairman of Test Valley Men’s Shed, said: “It was great to be featured on the BBC. I also went on BBC Berkshire the day after the video segment went out, and we’ve seen interest grow, but we want it to go further. I saw the numbers on our website go up after the segment, it was brilliant.”

There are around six regular members who come to help out every Tuesday and Thursday, as well as 20 others who have shown their interest to join in.

Bob said: “There are retired people out there that would want to part of a project like this, but we need to get the word out that this is happening.

“You can come and join in, and there is an incredibly relaxed atmosphere, it’s a nice place to be.”

Bob continued: “There are retired older men out there who sometimes feel that there is no place to talk about problems they might have.

“This is a really nice place to socialise and make friends, as well as pick up some new skills or refine ones you might already have.”

The group is currently looking for funding to help fix what will become a workshop in Laverstoke, the old tennis and bowls pavilion in Laverstoke Lane.

The floor is currently rotted and the group is on its way to fixing it, in order for it to be used as a workshop and craft centre, if it is big enough.

The group is free to join and help out at, and anyone can come along to help, as some ladies have been joining in on the project as well.

For more information on the Test Valley Men’s Sheds, visit http://www.testvalley mensshed.org.uk/.