Community News From Around Our Area

Bin IT? No Way!!

This is the ethos of the new Repair Café Kenilworth, a not-for-profit community event set up to reduce waste, increase sustainability and to save money.

Their purpose is simple, if you have a small, portable item that needs a repair, don’t bin it!  Bring it along to their next café and their team of repairers will take a look, something the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Samantha Cooke, wanted to show her full support for!

After taking delivery of a new camping chair Cllr Cooke noticed a problem with the stitching on one arm, leading to a weakened arm and many near misses!  Despite many of us instinctively binning the item or returning it to the manufacturer, she took it along to the official launch of the Repair Café Kenilworth on 23rd October 2021, hoping one of the repairers could prevent another item being lost to landfill.

On arrival Cllr Cooke met with Sharon Maxted, the coordinator of the Café, and was introduced to one of the volunteer repairers named Jean. After identifying the issue, Jean found the correct thread and got to work with her sewing machine, double stitching the arm in order to present Cllr Cooke with a fully functioning (and safe!) chair.

Cllr Cooke was delighted. She said, “There was nothing else wrong with the chair and we didn’t want to be wasteful…the repair café is a fantastic community idea which I really wanted to show my support for.  Really happy with the outcome – no more forgetting and falling side-ways because there is no arm there!”

The Repair Café Kenilworth is run by volunteers solely for the benefit of the community. Whilst the group of repairers will always assess and fix your item where they can, their purpose is to also share their knowledge and help you develop the skills needed for any future mends. You’re never too old to learn something new!

Future events at the Repair Cafe will be held on the third Saturday of every month. They can be found at Abbey Hill United Reformed Church between 2pm and 5pm, where you will be assured of a cup of tea, a biscuit and a very warm welcome!