Repair cafe going from strength to strength in helping items go further
In a world where more and more possessions seem disposable, one county group is helping people make the most of what they have.
Shrewsbury's Repair Cafe, which relocated to a new venue in September last year, is going from strength to strength, and this weekend welcomed a visit from the town's mayor to check on its progress.
Based at the United Reformed Church the cafe runs every third Saturday of the month – from 10am to 2pm.
It has a team of volunteers with a vast array of skills who repair a host of items including clothing, electrical products, jewellery, ornaments, garden tools, cameras, furniture, and more.
Liz Evans, one of the original founders of the group, said they had been delighted with the way the cafe had developed since its move – and that it is helping people get some extra life out of useful or beloved possessions.
She said: "Since we moved to the United Reformed Church it has really taken off. It has become like the ethos of what a repair cafe is – people bring their stuff in, ideally stay and talk to the repairers, learn some new skills so they might be able to fix things themselves in the future.
"They can also have tea and a biscuit and make it more of a social thing."
Mrs Evans urged people with broken items to bring them down and see if they can be fixed.
She said: "Don't chuck it away, don't send it to the dump, we might be able to fix it and keep it going a bit longer."
Shrewsbury's mayor, Councillor Julian Dean, said it was wonderful to see the cafe grow.
He said: "As mayor it has been a real shame that there have not been many community events over the last two years so it is great to see the repair cafe going from strength to strength.
"It is great to see the variety of things they can do there and it would be great if more people knew they existed.
"It is so important that we learn to look after our resources better and this is a really good way to do it."
Mrs Evans also encouraged anyone with repair skills interested in helping out to get in touch – particularly those with skills to repair electronic items.
The next session takes place on March 19, and anyone interested in becoming a repairer can contact Mrs Evans by e-mailing aelizabethevans@gmail.com
