If you’re wondering what to do with a broken toaster, a jumper full of moth holes or a broken precious object, then try taking it along to the first Repair Café on Saturday (Oct 4) at Freemantle United Reformed Church.

 

Transition Southampton and Freemantle United Reformed Church are organising the first Southampton Repair Café, and say the church hall will be buzzing with the sound of repairers sharing their skills and helping people to repair things they have brought along – all with sustenance from tea, coffee and cake, which will be on sale in the café.

Liz Batten, a member of the Repair Café team, said: "Sharing skills is a big part of Repair Café. So often we don’t tackle a repair because we don’t have the confidence in our ability. The informal sharing environment of Repair Café will hopefully encourage people to have a go, improving their confidence, sense of achievement and helping then to feel part of their community.

“It’ll also be a great place to come and have a cuppa and eat cake!”

Repairing things also has the bonus of saving money and resources, and can help minimise CO2 emissions. But above all, Repair Café wants to show how much fun repairing things can be, and how easy it often is.

A wide variety of volunteer repairers will be sharing their skills, with electricians, seamstresses, carpenters, a bicycle maintenance workshop and many others to help make all repairs possible, free of charge.

The only rule...

People visiting the Repair Café bring along their broken items from home – the only rule is it must be carried, nothing bigger than that. Toasters, lamps, jewellery, clothes, bikes, toys, crockery... anything that is broken is welcome and can more than likely be repaired. The repairing is also about sharing skills and giving people the confidence to have a go on their own.

Repair Cafés are an idea that originated in Amsterdam, where the Repair Café Foundation has regularly been organising gatherings since 2010. The foundation provides support to local groups in and outside the Netherlands, and it now supports hundreds of Repair Cafés worldwide, including in Southampton.

Details
Southampton Repair Café
Saturday October 4, 10.30am - 1pm
Freemantle United Reformed Church Hall, 257 Shirley Road, SO15 3HS
www.southamptonrepaircafe.org
www.repaircafe.org - international website

Pics: Ann MacGillivray