Are you handy with a socket set, know your way around a sewing machine, are good at organising or make a dam good chocolate cake?
If so, have you thought about volunteering for Repair Café Bude? Since opening, this monthly event has repaired over 100 items, stopping them from going to landfill and giving them a new lease of life. Run by volunteers and supported by Neetside Community Centre, Repair Café Bude volunteers share their skills with those bringing items for repair helping them to learn simple home repairs for the future. Volunteering with us can include helping to meet and greet those bringing items in, making and serving cakes and refreshments, helping to navigate people to the repair stations or being an active repairer. Often repairs are shared, discussed and resolved by repairers working together and advising each other in a supportive environment and our volunteers find the social aspect of volunteering at Repair Café a big plus.
If you’re interested in becoming a Repair Café Bude Volunteer, please contact us via email on and we’ll send you an application form and further information.
Last Saturday of every month, except August and December
10.30am – 12.30pm (last repair in at 12 noon)
Neetside Community Centre
What do you do with a broken toaster? Or a bike whose wheels are out of alignment? Or with a sweater full of moth holes? Bin it? No way!
Back from a two year break, Repair Café Bude is open for Repairs the last Saturday of the month. Manned by volunteer repair experts, Repair Café Bude has a pool of over 25 volunteer repairers and helpers giving their time to make repairs free of charge. To date, over 120 items have been repaired, and so saved from going into landfill, the items range from; Table lamps, Fairy Lights, a Smoothie Maker, CD Player, Clocks, Mobile Phones, Laptops, Jet washers, a Toy lamb – leg falling off, Bracelets, Bikes and lots of zips.
Central to the idea of repair café is skill sharing and many of the repairers and those who have brought items to be repaired are keen to share their knowledge and to learn new skills. Lots of advice is also given and repairers are often able to recommend local business for bigger jobs or those that require specialist knowledge, skills or a greater length of time.
Sadly, some items are unrepairable. Mostly due to the way they have been designed or manufactured. But feedback from visitors is, ‘at least we know now, we won’t feel guilty that we have to throw it away.’ You can follow the project via Facebook – Repair Café Bude or if you have any questions or want to volunteer contact Neetside Community Centre direct on 01288353403 or enquiries@neetside.co.uk