Oundle repair shop needs volunteers with mending skills

The Repair Cafe will return to the town next month
Repairs can be on all sorts of household goodsRepairs can be on all sorts of household goods
Repairs can be on all sorts of household goods

Bin it? No way! That's the motto of Oundle's relaunched Repair Cafe, a one-stop shop where broken household items are mended by a team of volunteers - all over a cuppa.

Oundle residents have been invited to bring in their damaged items to Fletton House, off Glapthorn Road, where a team of skilled, voluntary repairers will do their best to mend them.

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But in order to offer as wide a variety of repairs as possible the team are recruiting people to sew, mend, repair, darn, fix things or serve tea and cakes.

Repair Cafe OundleRepair Cafe Oundle
Repair Cafe Oundle

John Wade from the project said: "There are so many people who would love to see loved or useful items fixed so they can be used again. There is enormous satisfaction in seeing someone's face light up when they have something they value, restored to its former glory.

"We also encourage repairers to share their knowledge so people are more resourceful if things go wrong in the future.

"This concept is not new, of course, but is one that has been lost in modern consumer purchasing patterns.

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"It has become ‘cheaper’ to simply buy a low value replacement rather than get something repaired – resulting in piles of discarded electronic goods, cheaply made bicycles and low quality clothing – many of which are not recycled, even if they do make it into recycling bins."

Volunteers working on items at a previous Repair CafeVolunteers working on items at a previous Repair Cafe
Volunteers working on items at a previous Repair Cafe

The owner of the broken item has the opportunity to watch and learn from the volunteer while enjoying some refreshments.

Previous repairs have included fixing bike brakes and vacuum cleaners, mending jewellery and electric toothbrushes, and repairing clothes, jeans and tote bags.

The Oundle Repair Café team will be back in action on Saturday, April 2, at Fletton House.

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Anyone with repair skills such as patching trousers, fixing old VHS recorders or cine cameras, or sharpening knives and scissors can be added to the team.

From textiles to electrical items, jewellery to bikes, volunteers will do their best to mend the items brought in by the publicFrom textiles to electrical items, jewellery to bikes, volunteers will do their best to mend the items brought in by the public
From textiles to electrical items, jewellery to bikes, volunteers will do their best to mend the items brought in by the public

John added: "Expressing an interest doesn't mean you have to commit to every event, but the more repairers we have on our books, the better."

To volunteer email [email protected] or go to Oundle Waste Less on Facebook.

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