Got something that's busted?
Don't bin it, repair it!
Have you got small household items that need some tender loving care (TLC) and you haven't got the time or skills to fix them yourself? Don't bin them, bring them to the Repair Café Leighton Buzzard and let our volunteer fixers try to mend them or give advice.
Our next Repair Cafe event is:
Saturday 25th of January
10:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Royal British Legion
Save Money
We're all looking for ways to save money these days. Many household items are replaced unnecessarily because of a minor issue that could be easily repaired for free, or for a fraction of the cost of a replacement.
Reduce Waste
It is estimated that on average an item of clothing lasts 3.3 years and around 300,000 tonnes a year are sent to landfill in the UK, and on average we each throw away 23.9kg of Electronic waste (or e-waste) per year. The UK is set to become the world's largest e-waste producer by 2024. We should do all we can to limit the effects of our throwaway society.
Learn New Skills
A repair cafe is all about sharing the skills needed to maintain and repair household goods - it's amazing how much you can fix with just a few tips, tricks and confidence. On the other hand, if you've a fix-it mentality, come along to see if you can help out others in your community and share your knowledge!
What is a Repair Café?
They are above-all pop-up community events that match people who need stuff fixed with people who like to fix things. A key principle of a Repair Café is that you sit with the repairer whilst they attempt to carry out the repair, so that you learn more about the item and the repair process.
Totally Leighton Buzzard are planning to host monthly Repair Café events in our town. We bring the cake! You bring your items! Everyone brings a willingness to share and learn!
Why are we organising a Repair Café?
Repair Cafés are part of fixing our relationship with our belongings and things and helping reduce waste and landfill. The first Repair Café started in 2009 in Amsterdam, Holland and has grown worldwide to over 2000 cafes in various forms.
What types of items can be brought for repair?
We welcome small household items and appliances that you can bring to our events. These for example include:
Textiles and clothing repairs, upholstery and similar
Items such as clocks, toasters, blenders, kettles, lamps, sewing machines, coffee machines, fans etc
Electronics such as headphones, CD/DVD Players, hi-fi systems, portable entertainment, cameras, childrens toys, etc
Desktops and laptops; Windows or Mac. (Printers - best effort only)
Things we can't help with at the moment:
Washing machines, dishwashers, microwaves etc. These are too big and bulky to bring in.
We're not set up for reparing screens of any sort.
We can't accept bicycles for now, however the Buzz Cycles group runs existing regular Dr Bike repair sessions. Find out more here
FAQ
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What is the cost of attending the Repair Café?
Attendance to the repair café is free, but we would gladly accept donations towards our costs. We are a non-profit community group, and Repair Cafés work on the basis of donations which are welcome to cover the cost of venue hire, insurance costs, training and general supplies and tools.
You will be expected to cover the cost of any parts needed (if required) to complete a repair of your item. In this case, the repairer will attmept to provide you with the exact part numbers, approximate costs, and suitable suppliers.
Once you have purchased the part(s), you're welcome to return to another repair café session with the item and the part so your repair can be completed.
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How can I book to attend the Repair Café?
It is really helpful for our repairers to have some idea of the nature and condition of the item. Please provide as much information as possible about what the item is and what might be wrong with the item. We will try to have a combination of both pre-booked and walk-in slots.
Please register here and put your name down to attend one of the upcoming events.
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How does it work on the day?
Depending on the time that you attend and the number of volunteer repairers available at that time, there could be a short wait before a relevant repairer is available. Please use this opportunity to buy a drink or some cake and have a chat with others.
You will also be required to sign a disclaimer if you have not already done so online.
When a relevant repairer is available, you are encouraged to sit with them, watch the repair and ask questions (and even assist, if you can). Repair Cafés are essentially about sharing skills and knowledge.
If your item is not repairable, the repairer will explain the reasons and offer info on the safest and easiest way to dispose of the item.
We cannot dispose of items that are unrepairable although we might be able to use some items for small parts in future repairs (but this might happen on case by case basis). -
Who are our repairers and can I become a volunteer?
Repair Café Leighton Buzzard volunteers are mixture of people who want to help. Most are amateurs and others have professional repair expertise, while others provide equally welcome support skills front of house.
Please speak to one of the team if you are interested in volunteering either as a fixer or doing admin/front of house activities. Every little helps!
