Fernhurst Hub's repair café deemed a success

On Saturday, October 1 the repair cafe team visited to celebrate its first anniversary and to offer Fernhurst residents its skills at fixing broken and damaged personal possessions.

The Fernhurst Hub provided tea and coffee to volunteer repairers and watched as some items were mended on the spot and others ‘booked in’ for further work. Items ranged from a 70 year old teddy to a mini steam engine and a Tiffany lamp.

Liz Rawlings, hub manager, said: “It is wonderful to see objects that would have been thrown away being restored to useful life. So many owners have stressed the sentimental value of their items, it has been a pleasure to provide the space for the repairers, we thank them all for their time and commitment.”

The mend and repair event was such a success that plans are being made for further sessions.

Antonia Plant, hub trustee, said “There has been a real buzz and these skilled repairers generate a great community spirit. As a volunteer organisation itself, the Hub is ideally placed to host the Repair Café, we have loved meeting the team and hearing how they learned their special skills. We have had more items to repair than we thought possible in one morning and hope to repeat the event.”

The Repair Café is lucky to have around 15 committed repairers who have turned their hand to fixing a huge variety of items, including electronic lamps, toasters and radios. They have mended wooden furniture or ornaments and replaced buttons and zips. Garden tools and furniture and toys as well as children’s and adult bikes are often brought along for attention.

For the past 12 months, the ‘Ministry of Menders’, who are all volunteers, have met at Haslemere Town Hall, on the first Saturday of the month, providing a drop-in service from

10am until 1pm for anyone with an item that requires mending. To date, the team has repaired more than 350 objects – almost 30 a month - saving more than 1,760kg from landfill, on average.

For more information about the Fernhurst Hub and future events see www.fernhursthub.org.uk

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