Repair Cafe Success! Fixes, Fun, & 1.3 Tonnes Saved!
We kicked off our Repair Café series on Sunday 9th March, and we were blown away by the response! We had five amazing repairers fixing and giving advice on clothes, electricals, furniture, technology and bikes, and thirty visitors who brought bikes, clocks, clothes, and so much more. The tea, coffee, sandwiches and cake all flowed for the entire four hours as visitors chatted to each other and to staff.
Over half of all items that were brought in were fully repaired. Some were partially repaired, and some were not repaired but the repairers gave advice on what to do next, whether it be contacting the manufacturer or guidance on how to obtain parts for a future repair. We estimate that we saved approximately 1,388.8kgCO2e worth of emissions, which is the same as driving 5,767 miles, flying 8,468 miles or showering 868 times.
That 1,388.8kgCO2e saving? It's not just a number; it's the collective impact of our community choosing repair over replacement, a real testament to everyone’s efforts.
That 8,468 miles saved from flying? That's the equivalent of flying from Leeds to Miami, and back! A remarkable acheivement.
We got some encouraging feedback, including:
‘Everyone was lovely, very knowledgeable and helpful’
‘2 items fixed, met good people. Today was great.’
‘My favourite part about this event was reducing waste and the community coming together to help each other’
Thank you so much to all of our repairers and thank you to everybody who came!
With special thanks to:
Antanddecking, York Community Furniture Store, CogsCycles, Ken, and Lynn for providing their expertise and repair skills
The wider Repair Cafe community up and down the country for providing knowledge, resources and encouragement
Up for Yorkshire and Brayton Community Centre for supporting and hosting this event
We have two more Repair Café events this weekend! Join us in Tadcaster at The Barn from 11am-3pm for another repair café on Saturday 22nd March, and at Brayton Community Centre from 11.30am-3.30pm for our Re-imagine upcycling event on Sunday 23rd March.