‘Repair Cafe’ movements grows in popularity here
The Repair Cafe movement began in The Netherlands in 2009, has spread worldwide and is now gaining momentum here.
A Repair Cafe is a free community event where people can get their broken stuff fixed with the help of volunteers. People can take electrical devices, clothes, furniture, crockery or jewellery to the cafes to be repaired but must be prepared to get involved as well.
They will be expected to sit beside the repair person and watch and learn how items can be taken apart and put back together again.
The idea was conceived by Martine Postma, a Dutch journalist, who did not want to throw out stuff that could be easily salvaged.
In 2010 the Repair Cafe Foundation was established to support local groups wanting to set up their own Repair Cafe.
Some people maintain Repair Cafes are all about teaching people to fix their own stuff but it is really more about getting people to think twice before throwing stuff out.
Repair Cafe Ireland promotes and supports the development of Repair Cafes across Ireland by providing resources for people to start up their own cafe and connecting with volunteers.
The movement is expected to grow next year as more people get hooked on the idea of repairing things instead of throwing them away. A number of Repair Cafe meetings will take place throughout the country later this montht.
- www.repaircafe.ie.
