Repair Cafes in Essex - Help Sought

Hi

I work in technology for Essex County Council. We're exploring the viability of supporting repair cafes in Essex as part of sustainability and the circular economy.

Can anyone offer any guidance and experience around setting these up. Or if you're Essex based, is that something you'd have the time and enthusiasm to get involved ?

I and my colleagues would love to hear from you

Andy - direct message me  or reply below if you have any questions.

  • I just looked in a skip near us and found an electric lawn mower with a badly damaged lead. Reclaimed it and repaired it and works fine.

    This mower probably belonged to an elderly person whose only option was to call out an electrician at £100 or scrap it as it is cheaper to get a new one from B&Q. 

    We are such a wasteful society and  Volunteer Repair Shop is excellent  idea for retired engineers. I do bikes as well. 

  • Main thing we learned was that some vacuum cleaners can be absolute pigs to dismantle!!!

    Not just vacuums but all sorts seem to have fixing points deliberately hidden away - screw heads hidden under rating labels, cases that clip together that can only be opened if you know where the clips are - but you can't see them until the case is opened. Or the reverse - lots of screws, a couple of which hold the case together while the others hold something heavy away from something delicate inside and again no way of telling which is which before it's too late. I remember the good old days when the BBC micro had its case fixing screws clearly marked as "FIX>" but nostalgia isn't what it used to be either. Maybe we should have a Wiki for how to open various models of appliances.

       - Andy.

  • is excellent  idea for retired engineers

    And non-retired  Wink I'd say we were about 50/50

  • I’d be interested in getting involved in an initiative for Tendring/NE Essex - have been thinking of setting up a pop up cafe on a weekly  basis if there was enough support to cover weekly.

    Perhaps running alongside some other weekly events already running.  A number of the local churches have weekly events that might align with a repairs function.

    There are a number of vacant small retail outlets on the edge of the town centre that could be suitable for something like this.

  • Hello all, whilst I am not directly involved I am aware of a network or Repair Cafes in Cambridgeshire.  Here is the web link https://cambridgecarbonfootprint.org/repair-cafes/ I hope this helps.

  • Hi Andy

    WEST CENTRAL LONDON FIXERS runs e-repair events in several West London boroughs. The service is provide free to the public and funded by the councils.

    We are hosting running a recruitment & presentation event at The IET London venue, Savoy Place, WC2 on 14-JUN-2023 from 6pm. Please feel free to come along.

    Here is the Eventbrite link:

    Here are a few other helpful links:

    www.wclfixers.co.uk

    https://therestartproject.org/

    https://www.ifixit.com/

    Kind regards

    Alex Horn

    07773898806

  • Update on our experiences in Cornwall having had a few sessions now:

    • Firstly, it's been great fun, and the people bringing in items to repair have been extremely grateful. 
    • Even when we haven't been able to fix the items, whether because they're beyond repair or need detailed professional work, the people bringing them have just been pleased to at least know where they stand.
    • As with all voluntary groups, the number of people who offer to help at the start is much larger than the number who carry on, it's become clear now who the determined "fixers" are. That said, we are going to have a semi-social event soon to share what we've done with those who were initially interested but never actually showed up to see if we can encourage more.
    • However many tools and materials you have between the repairers, you always need more! Fortunately we live in an area where it's quick for most of us to get home to pick up that extra screw etc.
    • We do find relatively often that we need to say "you'll need to bring it back next month when you've bought this spare part" (we'll show them where to get it) or "...when I've had a chance to have a proper Google to see if I can find how to get into it / find the fix" or "...when I'll bring in my special tool / part"
    • The original plan was that we would not take items away to repair, but in practice a few repairers have agreed with the people bringing the item that they will do. We're very clear on our disclaimer form that the repair cafe accepts no liability for this, and that it's a private arrangement between the repairer and the person bringing the item in. Personally I haven't done this yet, and don't think I would unless I already knew the person bringing the item in, with the best will (and disclaimers) in the world I can see it going wrong.
    • We take whatever donations people want to make, we just put collecting tins in the cafe and on the front desk. So far each month we've just covered our room hire and catering costs with a bit to spare. Several people have offered to pay the individual repairer directly (even when they've failed to fix it!), we're always clear that we like donations but in the central kitty. 
    • The range of items brought in have included vacuum cleaners, bikes, DVD / video players, vacuum cleaners, sewing machines, floor sweepers, vacuum cleaners, stuffed toys, lamps, robot vacuum cleaner (that one was fun for all of us!), a large wooden toy kitchen, all sorts of things. (We have thought of putting on the poster "we do mend things that aren't vacuum cleaners". We're hoping that we must have seen all of them in a 5 mile radius by now...)
    • My personal highlight was a relatively simple fix on a little rechargeable fan where the surface mount USB charging socket had fallen off. A fiddly soldering job, so I got the 8 year old son of the chap who'd brought it in to help me, in particular teaching him how to use the solder sucker. They both loved it!

    I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who likes getting into stuff and having a go, and hates seeing things thrown away!

    Cheers,

    Andy

  • Further thought: We run ours on one Saturday morning a month. So even though (as mentioned above) we're about 50/50 retired/working volunteers, those of who are working don't find it a burden at all. (Actually the retired volunteers are generally the sort of people who are full time occupied with all sorts of voluntary roles so are pretty much as busy as the rest of us!)

    What I have done is moved the tools and parts that I take along into portable crates / toolboxes so that I can quickly throw them in the car on repair shop morning, other than that I've found there's no "prep" to do between sessions. Since we have no idea what's going to turn up at each session there's no point doing much planning! Even being on the "not a committee" has only involved a meeting every couple of months and the occasional email chain.

    What we benefit from is a couple of keen volunteers who don't do repairing but are very happy to do admin, managing the money, publicity etc. And again they're the sort of people who get involved in helping various events that happen at that (community) venue, so they are all set up to do this type of thing already.

  • This is a bit of an old post but I am thinking of setting up a repair cafe in Essex, we have a site and enigeering skills but are looking for funding

  • Hi Geoff,

    Just interested in what you're expecting to need funding for? We didn't find we needed any, but then we do have relatively low cost premises and our insurance is covered by the premises - we find the donations cover the room rental and cafe ingredients which are our only costs.

    Andy