Minehead Repair Cafe Launch

Minehead Repair Cafe launched at Sacred Heart Church hall on 19^th October, which was fittingly International Repair Day!  The launch was a great success with 24 people bringing along items to be repaired, along with many others coming to see what a Repair Cafe is and how they work.  Attendees included their local MP Rachel Gilmour and Deputy Mayor, Cllr Anne Lawton.  A new volunteer was recruited and lots of cakes were eaten and enjoyed along with lots of cups of tea.  Repairers were offering a range of skills from electronics, to sharpening, to textiles – so a fantastic diverse team.  

One of the more challenging repairs was a set of foot rests from a wheelchair, one of which was bent out of alignment.  It was a team repairer effort to straighten it out and reattach to the wheelchair. Not only was the wheelchair saved from landfill but the wheelchair user could get out and about again. This goes to show that Repair Cafes reduce waste, but can also improve the quality of people’s lives.

Many small repairs are easy to do with a little know-how. Lots of help can be found online and plenty of people in the community have useful skills. The local repairers not only help to extend the life of items, but help to keep family treasures in good working order.  Phil and Margaret, who visited the repair café with a clock that previously belonged to Phil’s father commented: “I want to continue to use the clock. I think of dad every time I wind it up”.

The whole volunteer team really enjoyed the session are looking forward to doing it all again in November!  A massive well done Minehead Repair Cafe from the whole CAG Somerset team!