Repair Café – opens at Chirnside Park

Have you ever had a favourite item, maybe a piece of clothing or a gadget, break down and feel disheartened that you couldn’t fix it? Well, that’s where the Repair Cafe comes in. It’s an international movement that aims to encourage people to set up Repair Cafes worldwide. With the increased focus on sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint, it’s great to know that there is a place where we can fix our beloved items instead of throwing them away.

The good news is The Chirnside Park Repair Cafe has officially opened! This volunteer-led project is dedicated to keeping items out of landfills by repairing and diagnosing problems. Additionally, the Cafe strives to pass on valuable skills and knowledge to the community members who come through its doors. On Sunday, May 7th, the Cafe held its first-ever session at the Chirnside Park Community Hub, and the energy was palpable with excitement. Over twenty people attended during the two-hour event, with fifteen having their items repaired and two receiving expert advice about home renovations.

It’s a hub for local community members who are passionate about protecting our environment and reducing waste. The space is filled with skilled and talented volunteers who have come together to share their knowledge and skills with like-minded individuals. The Repairers include a variety of experts such as Sewers and Menders to tackle any clothing repairs, digital hardware and software Technicians that can work on a range of electronics, and 3D Printing techniques used for part replacements. The Electrical Engineer is always on-hand for any technical issues. Home and furniture renovations are no match for the Specialist, and the general ‘tool man’ is available for all your handy needs. The Cafe provides a modern community space that offers something for everyone to connect on their shared passions.

“Such a wonderful inititive.” Joy – Facebook comment

“Amazing work Rowan and team.” Mandy – Facebook comment

As the Repair Cafe becomes a resource for the community, it hopes to provide a place where people can look at broken items before buying new ones. With skills, knowledge, time, and labour often out of reach for the average person, the Repair Cafe brings these valuable elements together at no cost.

The project roots of the Repair Cafe can be found on their website, where interested individuals can learn more about the movement and how to get involved. Join the Repair Cafe movement and help create a more sustainable future for us all!

We would like to thank the Cire Community Hub (Chirnside Park) for providing a space for our event each month. The use of the hall is an invaluable resource that allows us to offer our repair services to the community. As a non-profit organisation, we rely on donations to keep our operations running smoothly. With this in mind, we aim to raise funds to contribute to the Hall use and the wonderful programs offered by Cire. Our partnership with the Community Hub has allowed us to positively impact the environment by reducing waste through repair and reuse.

Cire Community Hub is a non-for-profit organisation and relies on donations to keep our operations running smoothly, and all funds raised will go back to the wonderful programs offered, including the Repair Café.

2023 Schedule

Sunday 4th June
Sunday 2nd July
Sunday 6th August
Sunday 10th September
Sunday 8th October
Sunday 12th November

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We are always looking for new community members to join our Repair Cafe Team, so please reach out if you have skills to share and want to connect with your community.

Need to know more? Contact Rowan Barr- Repair Cafe Co-Ordinator 0450 828 800 email: repaircafemelbourne@hotmail.com

We look forward to continuing our collaboration and making a difference in the community.