A huge shout-out to everyone who rolled up their sleeves for this year’s Wandi Nut Festival on 17 and 18 April. Once again BUMS ran the chestnut-roasting stall, with a terrific crew of volunteers from Simon L. and Craig’s BUMS team alongside Jess’s Alpine Multi-Skill Group, all pitching in to prepare for and run the cooking across the Friday evening and Saturday.

Attendance was down a bit on previous years, but that didn’t stop us. We still raised an impressive $1,307 for the Shed, which goes straight towards keeping our doors open and our equipment humming.

This year also saw a big step up in product quality, overseen by Craig. After some serious “research” and expert input, the roasted chestnuts drew overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees and taste testers alike. As for Chef Craig himself, like many renowned chefs he remains tight-lipped about the finer details, guarding his ingredients, techniques and perhaps a few inherited secrets. No further disclosures are forthcoming!

The Nut Festival has been a strong and reliable fundraiser for the Shed over many years, and it’s about more than the dollars. Volunteering at events like this strengthens our ties within the community and builds the kind of goodwill that keeps a small town shed thriving. Well done to everyone involved: a terrific effort all round. If you’d like to lend a hand at our next community event, drop us a line at info@bumsinc.com.au.

With the colder weather settling in, our Friday morning outdoor walking sessions have wrapped up for the season. But the exercise group isn’t hibernating. We’ve moved indoors to a brand new Pilates program with physiotherapist Julie at Ovens Valley Pilates & Physio, and it’s already off to a strong start.

There are eight places in the program, and enough members from our earlier exercise group have stepped forward to take part in this next phase. The program runs as a weekly session over six weeks, with activities designed to challenge balance, build strength and support mobility. Members are learning how Pilates equipment such as the reformer uses springs, pulleys and sliding platforms to provide resistance and support. It’s all low-impact movement, which makes the sessions suitable for every fitness level, from the spring chickens to the slightly creakier among us.

The program is funded through our Men’s Health grant, which supports health and wellbeing activities for Shed members. As always at BUMS, it’s about more than just exercise. It’s about connection, consistency, and looking after ourselves and each other.

If you’re interested in joining future health and wellbeing activities at the Shed, get in touch via info@bumsinc.com.au or pop in for a cuppa on a Wednesday morning.

Great news, Shedders! Bright Brewery has selected BUMS as its Community Keg beneficiary for February. That means on the night, 100% of all donations from the NEDs Community Keg go directly to supporting our Shed.

So lock in Wednesday 25 February from 5pm for a relaxed evening out in support of a great local cause (us!). Here’s how it works:

Grab your friends, family and neighbours, everyone’s welcome, and head down to the Brewery. Order a pot, schooner or pint of NEDs from the Community Keg. Instead of paying for your beer, you make a donation of any amount you like. Bright Brewery then passes on every cent raised to BUMS.

This initiative works best when it’s driven by the community, so please spread the word far and wide, bring a crew, and help make it a great night. A big thank you to Lydia and the whole team at Bright Brewery for choosing the Shed. We’re really looking forward to a social night together and we appreciate the continued support. See you there!

Well, well, well! After nearly being cancelled this year, the annual BUMS Book Fair is officially back on. Several members have stepped forward, keen to form a team and get it up and running after all, and it truly restores our faith in the Shed’s volunteer spirit.

The Book Fair will run over two days, Friday 2 and Saturday 3 January, at the Shed. It’s entirely volunteer-run, with members giving a few hours across the weekend to set up, staff the stalls and pack everything away. Craig is coordinating the team, and a number of able-bodied members have already put their hands up to kick things off.

If you’ve been before, you’ll know the drill: tables full of quality second-hand books at bargain prices, with every dollar raised going back into the Shed. Whether you’re after a summer holiday read, something for the grandkids, or just a good browse, there’ll be plenty to choose from.

The Book Fair has been a much-loved fixture on the BUMS calendar, and we’re delighted to see it continue. If you’d like to volunteer a few hours or find out more, get in touch via info@bumsinc.com.au. Otherwise, come along in January, grab a book or three, and support your local Shed.

Great news, Shedders! Through the dynamic efforts of our Secretary Jess and the Alpine Multi-Skill Group, BUMS has been awarded a 2025 Australia Post Community Grant totalling $10,000. The grants support projects that improve connection and mental wellbeing in local communities, and ours does exactly that.

Our funded program, “Shoulder to Shoulder”, will support older men through regular workshops and social gatherings. It was developed in response to the trauma of the 2020 bushfires and the repeated flooding our region has endured. The program strengthens emotional wellbeing, reduces isolation, and rebuilds community connection, which sits right at the heart of what a Men’s Shed is for.

The funds will go towards health and wellbeing activities for members, including our group exercise program and a range of workshops and social gatherings still being planned. Ideas on the table include everything from cooking sessions to mindfulness workshops and men’s health talks.

A big congratulations and thank you to Jess and everyone involved in putting the application together. Grants like this make a real difference to a volunteer-run shed in a small town. If you’d like to know more about what’s on at the Shed, drop us a line at info@bumsinc.com.au.

What great news. Our Secretary Jess has been crowned a World Champion after securing first place in the Vertical Kilometre at the World Masters Skyrunning Championships!

Despite brutal conditions and a last-minute course change, Jess dug deep and smashed through the course to take the win against tough competition. She credits her extensive training on the trails around Bright with laying the foundations for the race. As Jess put it: “It was hard on the legs and lungs, but totally worth enduring the hurt to cross the line first. It was a very proud moment representing Australia on the world trail running stage.”

For those unfamiliar with the sport, skyrunning is mountain running at its steepest, and the Vertical Kilometre is exactly what it sounds like: a race up a full kilometre of vertical climb. It is not for the faint-hearted, the faint-legged, or most of us here at the Shed, who prefer our hills with a cuppa at the top.

An enormous congratulations from us all, Jess. The whole Shed is very proud to share in your wonderful achievement, and it’s a fine reminder that our little corner of the Alpine valleys produces some genuinely world-class talent.