Description
What do you do with a chair when the leg has come loose? A lamp that no longer works? A toaster that doesn’t toast? A holey jumper? Throw it away? No way! We are hosting afternoons of fixing and skill-sharing.
This is a community event where local people get together to fix broken things, often learning new skills and sharing existing ones. Repair Cafés aim to help people learn to fix and\or help others to fix, to bring about a shift in consumerism and to throw less away. We try to match people who want to fix something broken with those keen to help.
We say – don’t leave it in a cupboard or throw it away – fix it.
We help “bringers” get into the habit of repairing and reusing things, saving them money and helping us all. Our repairers ideally aim to hand the bringer a tool they may not otherwise have easy access to (if that’s what needed) and guide them towards mending whatever can needs it – we fix around two-thirds of what is brought in this way. We use “troubleshooting” skills to help people fix things – has the fuse gone? What happened to stop it working? The sorts of problem-solving we all do lots of, just to get through the day. Some of us have specific expertise in things like phones, electricals, sewing, darning etc and we call them in as and when needed but a lot of our repairs just need common sense and a readiness to share the problem and help people. In other words, no need to be an expert. If you are already good at problem solving (or want ot be better at it) that’s all that’s needed to fix a lot of stuff.
If you have skills you can share, please bring along any tools you use (we already have a wide range) and help us help others – let us know on the order form you can help. Swap skills too – you help to fix mine and I’ll help to fix your broken stuff.
Here’s a list of some of what we’ve helped people fix/mend over the last few years:
Electric Toothbrush, clothes that need some attention, cordless kettle, toaster, leather shirt (torn sleeve), Electric Oil Heater, cloth bag, broken ceramics, laser printer, tabletop cooker, mobile phone, shirt, Espresso machine, Bosch Multi-Tool, Leather bag, DVD player, CD Player, portable TV, DAB Radio, various laptops, kitchen scale, handheld blender, aromatherapy diffuser, Sony Walkman, ear buds, Henry Vacuum cleaner, fan heater, circular saw, torch, computer monitor, Baby’s cot, nightdress, dressing gowns, Solar lights, Lampshade, Cafetiere, Kids bikes, food mixer, Bass guitar, small wooden table, Hair straighteners, Sewing Machine, coffee grinder, garden chairs, Swan Teasmade, Power tool cord sawn through, Amplicomms cordless phone, android and iPhones with problems, hedge trimmer, a tabletop cooker, lampshade, cafetiere. A dress that is too big for me along the waist, table fan, tall fan, backpack whose handle at the top has detached, kettle, kids metal detector, toy crow with broken beak, Moth holes in jumpers, a carriage clock. Pendulum not rotating, Flymo mower, Electric Golf cart, Sony PSP button sticking.
More details of past repairs here: bit.ly/hfixadmin
To give you a flavour of what we’re all about, we made a brief appearance in this BBC Radio 4 documentary.
Please join us and share the great feeling we get when we fix something with someone in a way that helps save the planet, save people money and help people to buy repairable in future if they need to buy at all.
Please tell us you’re coming to volunteer, observe or help repair here: HaringeyFixers.org/about-us/contact-us
If you have something you want help fixing, please book a free slot here: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/haringey-all-good-repair-cafes-turnpike-lane-3116259