Peterborough Repair Cafe was a big success

Volunteers attempted 16 repairs with items as diverse as a doll with a broken arm, some disco lights, a blunt pair of secateurs, a broken zip, a CD player, and a radiator.

The majority were fully repaired, and everyone who brought an item went away with more knowledge than they came in with. Those with items that were not repairable were able to take them away for recycling, knowing they had done what they could before letting them go.

Organiser Rebecca Neal said: “It was such a positive experience. I am so pleased that we stopped so many things being sent to landfill or replaced unnecessarily. We’ve saved some carbon and helped lots of people. I’m already looking forward to next month.”

Chair Andrew Chapman added: “Our aim is to share skills to help make Peterborough more sustainable. We want to encourage people to consider repairing as an option, to both save money, and reduce their impact on the environment. There are plenty of professional repairers in the city, and then we are here to help with the smaller, less specialist problems.”

Peterborough Repair Café is a monthly get-together of volunteers with skills in repairing, with people who need help to fix something. Volunteers can assist with things like mending small electrical appliances, carrying out simple repairs on clothes, or sharpening tools. The repairers are a diverse group with a range of different skills; they will have a go at a variety of household items.

Repair Café’s coming up are: May 7th, 11am to 3pm, at The Hack Space, Bretton; June 4th, 11am to 3pm, at Railworld Wildlife Haven; July 2nd, 11am to 3pm, at WestRaven Community Garden, Ravensthorpe.

In order to get going, the committee received vital support from the Cambridgeshire Repair Café Network who provided practical advice, and networking opportunities. Funding for insurance came from the George Alcock Centre, and Peterborough Environment City Trust provided a consumables kit.