Repair Café

Hi there!

Got something that has stopped working and you don’t know why or how to repair it but can’t quite throw it out?  Well here is a solution for you.  It works like this:

1. bring in your damaged or non-functioning item so we can have a good look at it.
2. if we can repair it and no extra parts are needed, then we will do so and you can take it home repaired and functioning and FREE of CHARGE!
3. If it can be economically repaired but needs a part, we will tell you what it needs and roughly how much it costs – we can even source it for you (subject to you setting a maximum cost that you would be prepaed to pay), bring it to one of our regular cafés (two a month : one in Brunstatt – usually the first Saturday morning of the month/ one in Didenheim – usually the third Wednesday of the month from mid-afternoon to 19.00) and we’ll try to get it working for you.  See the website.      
4. Or Facebook page.
5. If we can’t fix it we might suggest a specialist repairer if that is an economically viable option.  We have negotiated discounts for parts from a bicycle shop and general repair shop.
6. If all else fails and the item is a very ‘ex-parrot‘ as Monty Pyhthon once put it, then dispose of it thoughtfully at the déchetterie.

The local Repair Café is hopefully to have a date to set up shop for a day at the FLSH and to invite you to bring things for the team to repair.  We will put up signs on Campus and email and promote via the website and campus radio so that you know the when and the where.

Just to make it clear:-

• All the team are volunteers.
• No-one gets paid.
• The Repair Café is a legally-constituted Association and is not national, regional or local government-funded (though it is affiliated to the intenational Repair Café movement: HQ in Amsterdam).
• You will not be strong-armed into becoming a Member of the Association (there is no requirement for membership as a condition of having something repaired).  You are free to make a donation should you so wish…but noone will put pressure on you to do so!  Any donations enable us to buy specialist tools and equipment that we need to do even more repair jobs.
• You can always come back with another article!!!
• We can’t take on dishwashers and other heavy, non-portable items (and we can’t visit your home to repair in-situ), but we have repaired vaccuum cleaners, numerous bikes, all sorts of clothes, electrical equipment, blinds, computer hardware, kids’ toys, phones …. the list is almost endless…

SO: start thinking!… What do you have knocking around

that needs looking at / repairing! ?? 

Our experts are usually able to repair 60+% of the items brought in on the day itself!  What have you got to lose?

Even with our activities curtailed during CoVid, we have repaired around 300 items and have ‘saved‘ nearly 3 tons of repairable items from being condemned to Landfill…

If you feel so inclined and have some expertise / ability to repair things – why not become one of our ‘experts‘ (you would be joining a team 30+ strong….)!

NB.  Librarianship and Cultural Organisation Management students of Sustainability… I hope to be looking to you to organise and promote a Repair Café event in S2…..!  

TJ July 2022