Bridgnorth Repair Café seeking volunteers - here's how you can get involved

Bridgnorth Repair Café is seeking volunteer fixers to support efforts to reduce the number of items going to landfill and to save local people money. You don’t need to be a professional fixer to get involved; all you need is to be confident, competent and happy to give your time to make a positive difference to the environment, and to your local community.

Volunteers repair an iron at a repair cafe

A group of volunteers are working hard to establish a repair café in Bridgnorth, with the aim of holding free repair events in the town on a Saturday, initially once a quarter. They hope to hold their first event in March. Local people will be able to have items such as toasters, lamps, hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, clothes, toys and crockery fixed for free. The repair café organisers are particularly seeking volunteers with skills in repairing small household electricals, PAT testing, sewing/textiles, woodwork, general/mechanical and tool sharpening. To enable the safe repair of electrical items, the group would also really appreciate the donation or loan of a PAT machine.

Bridgnorth Repair Café are also looking for volunteers to help with organising the repair café events, welcoming visitors and serving refreshments. If you are friendly, organised and love being part of a feel-good atmosphere, why not get involved?

One of the organising volunteers, Lou Hudson, said: “Every time I visit the recycling centre, I see items that have been thrown away, which have very little wrong with them, and could be used again after a simple repair. Many people understandably don’t feel confident to repair things themselves, which is why we are setting up a repair café, where skilled volunteers will share their knowledge and fix things for free. This will have a huge environmental benefit. It will also save people money by not needing to buy replacement items.

The repair of an electrical item at a repair cafe.

"Repair café events are low-key, relaxed and enjoyable. You can even have a piece of cake while you wait for your repair! Please join in and help us to bring repair events to Bridgnorth.”

Anyone interested in helping is asked to please email bridgnorthrepaircafe@gmail.com