Cobh Zero Waste held the first Cobh’s Repair Cafe in the Sirius Art Centre on the 23rd November 2019 and it was a great success. Lots of happy people turned up to have their broken and damaged items repaired, some came for some upcycling advice and some just came for a nice chat and a cuppa.
What happens at Cobh’s Repair Cafe.
The range of repair services that was on offer was very impressive. We had;
Tech-savvy people repairing computers and smartphones,
an Electrician fixing broken electrical items.
Carpenters fixing all kinds of furniture.
sewing and clothing experts on hand to fix, patch and seam peoples clothes.
Even a bicycle repair service for those broken chains and wheels.
We also had people repairing broken crockery, vases and knick-knacks. It was a great range of free helpful advice.
“Some people came to have a bicycle fixed and learned how to repair a broken zip on a jacket that was destined for the clothes bank.”
Some people also came for some advice on items they had at home and were unsure about whether they could be repaired or not. People asked about damaged TVs, broken couches and chairs, Ipads and phones, toys and mirrors and all kinds of stuff that may otherwise have ended up in the bin.
Our experts were able to give advice on most of these items on how their lives could be extended with some simple tips.
One of the great things about the repair cafe was the amount of free information and knowledge that was available for everyone to avail of.
Some people came to have a bicycle fixed and learned how to repair a broken zip on a jacket that was destined for the clothes bank. Another person came to ask about repairing an old chair and also learned how to have his old clock fixed. It was great to see so many people coming away with the information they needed to save that broken item they had given up hope on.
The setting in the Sirius Centre was perfect and lent a real sense of community to the event with people popping in and out for help and a chat and even a nice slice of cake and it was great to see so many people using this service. Some people came just for a quick look and ended up staying for an hour watching all the repairers working their magic.
Due to Covid 19, we have been unable to hold another repair cafe as we had planned but with restrictions lifting we here at Cobh Zero Waste will be busy planning our next Repair Cafe as soon as it is safe to do hold one.
So don’t throw away that broken stool, don’t dump that cracked vase and don’t discard that old coat that you love, keep it for Cobh’s Repair Cafe and we will look forward to fixing it for you.
Many thanks go to all the repairers who gave their time, advice and skill for free and to the wonderful people at the Sirius Arts Centre for the use of their space, and to Collette Lewis of the Local Know-How Project.
Keep an eye on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages for Cobh’s newxt Repair Cafe coming to you soon.
Bearnard O’Dea || 15-June-2020