In March we started a project called Make Do and Mend with the aim of repairing household textiles so that people can keep their clothing and household items in use for longer. Our wonderful volunteers meet one Saturday morning a month at the library to undertake the repairs and they have tackled a variety of items from dresses to cushion covers, a wetsuit to a dog doorstop and everything in between. All the repairs are free and the only thing we cannot help with is the repair or replacement of zips.
The Make Do and Mend has been so popular that we decided to expand the range of repairs on offer and in July we launched Repair Café with the aim of repairing a range of household items. We meet at Cranleigh Baptist Church one Saturday morning a month and have volunteers who can repair electricals and electronics, bikes, toys, mechanical and wooden items. The repairs are free unless parts are required but donations can be given on the day to Cranleigh & District Lions Club who have generously supported this project. We are also collecting old phones and laptops to be wiped and recycled.
Repair Café was the original idea of Martine Postma in Amsterdam in 2009 as she wanted to strive for sustainability at a local level. Her idea was such a great success that she expanded the project and there are now more than 3000 Repair Cafés worldwide. Our current culture is to buy, use and throw away, but our consumption equates to a huge carbon footprint. Each of us need to reduce our consumption and this is where Repair Cafés come in as anything which we can repair means one less item going to landfill.
As well as the environmental benefits of Repair Café there are social benefits and we have seen this ourselves at both projects as our volunteers get a huge amount from the sessions and find them very rewarding. The atmosphere is sociable and those bringing their items to be repaired enjoy interacting with the repairers. The volunteers have also been able to offer advice to visitors so that they may be able to repair their own items in the future. There are refreshments available and always someone to have a chat with while you wait for your repair.
If you would like to book a textile repair you can either pop into the library or send them an email at , or you can drop into the library on the day. Our next session is on Saturday 19 October from 10am to 1pm.
The Repair Café takes place from 10am to 1pm and the next date is Saturday 5 October.
If you would like to book a slot please email or drop into the Baptist Church on the day (using the entrance in St James’s Place rather than the High Street entrance). If you would be interested in volunteering for either project please email Caroline Hayes at . We need volunteers to make cups of tea and meet and greet as well as repairers so whatever your skills please get in touch.
