Following the success of the last SHARE Repair Cafe in November last year, a second event is now being planned for 21st February.
People will be able to bring their broken items along to Edventure, The Welshmill Hub from 7- 9pm on Tuesday 21st February and see if the volunteer fixers can get them working again. There are already experts confirmed on general household electricals, bikes, crockery, clothing and other textiles and small items of furniture, and more may be added in the next few weeks.
SHARE hopes to run these events every three months, with smaller events on Saturday mornings at SHARE’s Library of Things. See sharefrome.org/repair for the latest information.
The concept of the repair cafe has been gaining popularity in recent years, as people reject the idea of the ‘disposable’ culture and seek to ‘make do and mend’ more often. At a repair cafe, people are encouraged to work with the fixers and learn how to diagnose a fault and find a solution.
SHARE is now inviting people to come along to learn some fixing skills, even if they don’t have items that need fixing.
“The best way to learn how to repair things is by watching and talking to the experienced fixers,” said SHARE co-project manager Helen Johnstone. “We’d like to train up a new generation of experts, and show people how satisfying it can be to get something working again.”
There is no charge for the event, but donations towards SHARE are welcome.
Bikes can be brought in for a quick maintenance check and tune-up, with expert Alex Hooper on hand to get them running smoothly after a winter in the shed.
The experts have tried a wide range of items, from hoovers to rice cookers to holey tights and broken cups, and have fixed the majority of items. However, there is no guarantee that everything can be fixed, despite the best efforts of the dedicated fixers.
The event will be held at Edventure: Frome’s work space, which is upstairs at The Welshmill Hub. People bringing larger items, such as bikes, can contact the organisers via share@edventurefrome.org for help getting items up to the first floor. More information can be found via the website: sharefrome.org/repair or on the SHARE Facebook page.
SHARE is an Edventure:Frome enterprise, in collaboration with Frome Town Council, Sustainable Frome and The Cheese and Grain.
