Community Participation#
Our Men’s Shed wants to share the love. We get paid to operate the Containers for Change scheme here in Northampton and we are only too happy to share that income with community and non-profit organisations. Each year we encourage such groups to choose Wednesdays and Saturdays that suit their group and claim those dates as your own. For the 2025 year we paid over $28,000 to community and non-profit groups.
Minimum Requirements#
All we require of your group is they get a minimum of four people turn up to help and that they wear covered-in shoes and preferably (but not mandatory) long-sleeve shirts and long trousers. We supply other PPE such as earplugs, clear safety glasses and gloves but if you have favourites of your own, feel free to use them.
Hours#
We are open for trading between 8:30AM and 12:30PM on trading days (Wednesdays and Saturdays, excluding public holidays.) Volunteers are encouraged to to arrive at least a few minutes before opening time.
What Do You Do?#
Sort and count containers by type (glass, clear plastic, coloured plastic, HDPE plastic - we’ll show you what that is, liquid paper cartons like kid’s juice boxes and similar, Aluminium and steel cans.) We’ll show you how many of each type make up a “bucket”. Empty the counted buckets into the main bins. That’s it!
Amenities#
We have tea and coffee making facilities, bottled water and soft drinks available for free and we often have a smidge of morning tea as well. There are two toilets available, but no showering facility.
What We Pay#
Every container counted earns your group three cents. Our record count for one day is 28,000, meaning that the group earned $840 on the day - much easier money than selling raffle tickets and having cake stalls. Be mindful that we also have slow days where you may only earn $100 for the four hours but, typically, groups earn an average of $400 for the half-day’s work.
How Does Your Group Get Involved?#
Click on the link, “Community Roster”, below, which will guide you to the roster for the upcoming three months. Any day in the “Up for Grabs” section is just that - up for grabs. Contact us using the email link at the bottom of the page and let us know the dates that you are interested in. We’ll take it from there. If you are interested in more dates than are shown in the upcoming three months, mention that in your email to us. We want to fill the roster.
Added Bonus!#
Every person who becomes a “counter” for their group is automatically a member of the Northampton Men’s Shed Inc. It costs you nothing and you then fall under the umbrella of our insurances. If you want to be an active member, you are most welcome and it involves filling out a half-page form to be a full-member.
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