Burnham-On-Sea’s new Repair Cafe opened for the first time on Thursday (September 7th) and saw scores of residents bringing along broken items for repair.
Burnham’s Mayor Cllr Lesley Millard and Town Crier Alastair Murray opened the first session at the Waffle Hub in Burnham Methodist Church where toasters, a food mixer, microwave, lamps, vacuum cleaners and clothing were among the items brought for repairs.
Various volunteer repair experts are available to make all possible repairs, free of charge, with a wide range of tools and materials on hand.
The Repair Café volunteers have a wide range of skills between them; electrical, sewing, general repairs to furniture, general DIY and jewelry specialists, and will almost always have the know-how.
The cafe will also launch in Highbridge on Saturday 16th September at The Purple Spoon Cafe at the YMCA Highbridge from 10am-1pm.
People visiting the Repair Café can bring along their broken items from home e.g. toasters, lamps, hair dryers, clothes, bikes, toys and crockery, anything that is broken is welcome. Many of those things will be repairable.
It comes after a successful appeal for volunteers earlier this year when a variety of helpers were recruited with hands-on skills.
By promoting repairs, the Repair Café wants to help reduce mountains of waste. This is necessary, according to Biddy Hammond, one of the lead organisers, who says: “We still throw away piles of stuff in this country.”
“Even things which practically have nothing wrong with them and which could easily be used again after a simple repair. Unfortunately, many people have forgotten that they can have things repaired, the Repair Café wants to change all that. But above all, Repair Café just wants to show how much fun repairing things can be and how easy it often is.”
Cllr Barbara Vickers points out that repairs can save money and resources and can help minimise CO2 emissions: “Volunteers have been working through the summer preparing to launch the Repair Café.”
“I am glad the Town Council has taken an active role in helping this project get off the ground as part of its Climate and Ecology Strategy. There is a wealth of skills out there and it is brilliant seeing people coming together to share their skills, and giving up their time for a community project like this.”
