12/09/2026
Heptonstall Repair Cafe has had another successful session. We repaired over 35 items, gave advice and support for items including a halogen cooker, disco mirror ball, trousers, bags, vacuum cleaner, dehumidifier and sharpened and cleaned tools.
The way our repair cafe works is
1. Come to the reception table and we will triage your item, working out the problem, and which of our volunteers is best placed to help.
2. We ask you to read our rules that outlines the voluntary nature of our work, that we don't take responsibility for any damage now or later. That our volunteers can decide whether to attempt a repair or not, and that they are able to explain why. Some things are not repairable. We ask you to sign in agreement.
3. We write down your name and give you a form so we can keep track of what's repaired and if it needs taking away for repairs we can then contact you.
4. We assign you to a volunteer to look at your item. Sometimes you will need to wait your turn. Our reception team manage the queuing, if it looks like someone went in front of you, it's because the right volunteer is still working on something else.
5. Have some tea and cake while you watch or wait. We ask you to stay, not drop and go. The point is that you also learn about your stuff.
6. Pop back to the reception table to drop off your form and let us know how it went. That means we account for all items and we can count the successes and fails. This information helps us campaign for better made products and repairable design.
7. If you can make a donation that helps pay our rent and insurance.
8. Tell your friends about it and if you love it, come and volunteer!
We are all volunteers giving up our time to help people and save on waste, and to build a happy social place.
If you don't like this, or can't accept that your item is not suitable for us to repair it, or don't like our rules, goodbye!
We love our positive atmosphere and want our volunteers to feel safe, happy and appreciated. Help us keep that please.
If you are stressed or short of time, then maybe come at a time when you feel more relaxed or have more time. In short, be nice or leave.
And a big thank you to our skilled volunteers and lovely customers.
See you next time, Saturday 10th October. 10am to 1pm at Heptonstall School.
