Launching on Saturday 31 October, a new Repair Cafe is opening in Artarmon to give locals the chance to fix broken household items, reduce waste and connect with other members of the community.
For Lilian, a volunteer at the Repair Cafe in Artarmon set to open later this month, throwing away items was never an appealing solution.
“Sometimes something in my house breaks and I kind of just stare at it. Like I don’t want to buy a new one,” Lilian said.
But after hearing about the Repair Cafe, Lilian believed it was a way for her to reduce waste and contribute to a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
“It’s why I volunteer, because I think it will help bring sustainable living as an ideal,” she said.
A new Repair Cafe is opening in Artarmon on Saturday 31 October, offering community members the chance to repair household goods rather than replace them. As well as getting their items fixed, people will have the opportunity to learn about the repair process.
Once a month, volunteers will gather to share their skills and help locals repair a range of household items. These skills include knife sharpening, sewing, repairing pots and pans, fixing jewellery and troubleshooting IT software.
If you would like to get something repaired, check out the Repair Cafe’s Facebook or Instagram pages for updates on available repair categories. There is no need to book in advance.
This year, the cafe will run on 31 October and 28 November from 2pm to 4pm at Barry Thompson Community Hall in Artarmon. From January 2027 onwards, the cafe will run on the last Saturday of each month at the Artarmon Bowling Clubhouse.
Beyond repairing items, the cafe also creates a space where community members can get together, learn, share skills and connect with one another.
Lilian hopes the Repair Cafe will become a “community staple”, encouraging people to repair items rather than throw them away and “buy something new to replace” them.
By giving these items a second life, the cafe aims to “reduce as much waste as possible”.
“The whole idea of having a Repair Cafe and prolonging the life of household goods really gels with me,” Lilian said.
Anyone interested in volunteering to repair household goods can get in touch through the cafe’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
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