News - Local News: Towcester and the villages in NN12 (NN12)

Not Bob the Builder, but the team of skilled volunteers at the Towcester Repair Café.

Started in September 2022, the Towcester Repair Café is now a regular fixture on the last Saturday of each month, from 10.00-12.00, at Renew 169 on Watling Street. There are even free refreshments whilst you wait.

The team can turn their hands to just about anything and can repair small electrical/kitchen appliances, radios, CD and DVD players, vacuum cleaners, toys, clocks, woodworking and furniture, sewing and clothes repairs and bicycles in the warmer months.

The Repair Café concept started in Amsterdam in the Netherlands back in 2009, with the simple idea we should not be throwing things away that could be repaired to prolong their life.

But it is now difficult to find places that can carry out repairs and often they are more extensive to fix than to buy a new item.

That’s where the Repair Café comes in, bringing together volunteers from the local community who can share their technical and craft skills to breath new life into damaged and faulty household appliances, clothes and furniture.

There are now over 2500 Repair Cafés worldwide. Besides the Netherlands, there are Repair Cafés in Belgium, Germany, France, here in the United Kingdom, the United States and in dozens of other countries around the world. Repair Café has even made its way to India and Japan!

Repair Cafes work on many levels that are relevant to today – they extend the life of products that would otherwise be thrown away and save the owners the cost of replacement.

There is no charge for us to look into faulty items and the team will then access and fault find to determine if it is repairable. If it is, then we only ask for the owner to cover the cost of any spare parts if needed - all the labour is free and provided by the volunteers. If we cannot repair the item then and there, then we take the items away and repair them from home.

So, if you have any broken or faulty items that you would like us to take a look at, please bring them along to one of our regular repair sessions that will be held on 30 March, 27 April, 25 May, 29 June, 27 July, etc.

If you would like to volunteer and become a repairer, we are always looking for people with the skills and knowhow to support the Repairs Café.

Come along or drop us an email at (trustee@renew169.org.uk).

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