Abington Repair Café - Abington Institute

Saturday, 28 October 2017 10:00 am - Saturday, 28 October 2017 1:00 pm


Abington's first Repair Café will run at the Village Institute on the morning of Saturday 28 October, 10.00am to 1.00pm.
 
Repair Cafés aim to bring together experienced volunteer repairers with people who need stuff fixed, and to extend the useful life of things that might otherwise be thrown away. If you bring an item to be fixed, you will sit alongside the repairer while she/he attempts a repair, to maybe lend a hand and to be consulted if some critical point is reached.
 
What can I bring to the Repair Café?
You can basically bring anything in need of repair that you can carry, and that will not be a safety hazard or make a mess. This could be small electrical, mechanical or electronic appliances such as hairdryers and toasters (but excluding microwave ovens and TVs), lamps, toys, mobile phones, laptops, printers, clothes, jewellery, bicycles, items that need gluing, etc. Whatever it is, it might not even be broken, perhaps you just can’t work out how to use it without the manual – bring it along. As well as repairers with general skills, we expect to have those more specialised in computers, electrical and electronic equipment, fabric, sewing machines, bikes and jewellery.
 
Do I need to book in advance?
If you would like to bring something to the Café for repair, please go to the website www.repaircafe.org.uk/abington, where you will be led to a booking form to request an appointment. This will help repairers to prepare, perhaps looking up service manuals etc. The Café organisers will then allocate you a timeslot with a repairer with suitable skills and tools, and tell you what time to arrive.  This should help to minimise waiting. Alternatively, you are welcome to turn up without booking, and probably join a queue.
 
What about spares?
Repairers may have common low-cost items such as batteries in their toolkit, which they will provide at cost.  If you need something more substantial, the repairer will help you to identify the part, and suggest where you might be able to order it online – but it will then be up to you to fit it, or bring it to the next Repair Café.
 
There is no charge for entry or repairs, whether successful or not, but donations will be gratefully received to help cover costs such as room rental. Running alongside this event, the Institute’s regular Saturday morning café will be selling hot and cold drinks and snacks, including bacon rolls, cakes etc.
 
This Repair Café is one of a series in the South Cambs. area, organised by a group from the Abingtons and co-ordinated by Cambridge Carbon Footprint.
 
For further information and enquiries about booking a repair, contact Richard Smith: email richardandgill.smith@live.co.uk or 01223 892 759.

Last updated on 25 October 2017.