Repair Café looks to mend the throwaway mindset

Jo Murray helped found the Surf Coast branch four years ago. She says the café looks to change the mindset of replace rather than repair.

“What we’re trying to do is stop this throwaway culture of everyone just thinking ‘something’s broken, something’s worn out, I don’t know how to fix it, I’m just going to throw it away and buy a new one’.”

Ms Murray says the volunteers at the café have a wide range of skills and interests.

“We’ve got people from the community who just love tinkering. Whether they like sewing or like fixing electrical items or mechanical things or bikes or jewellery or clothing.

“We have one woman who is in her eighties and was an arts and crafts teacher and became a silversmith. She’s just a complete treasure. We have an aerospace engineer and an aeronautical engineer.”

Ms Murray says if people were in doubt of whether someone can fix their item, they should bring it along.

“They’re just ordinary people who come along and love helping people fix things.”

“When something comes through the door the volunteers just love it, because it’s another opportunity for them to have a go at fixing things.”

Knowing this passion for repairing can be infectious, the café also includes a Kid’s Tinkering Zone for children between three and 15.

The zone was introduced last year and was hugely popular. There are tools provided as well as items for the children to fix.

The Repair Café asks for donations to help them cover the costs of running the days.

The café will open for the first time in 2020 on Sunday, February 2.

It will continue to open on the first or second Sunday of every month except June.

People wishing to volunteer their time and skills can email [email protected].