Life-saving and life skills learned at March’s Lindfield Repair Café

Thanks to How to Basically (howtobasically.co.uk), they learned some basic first aid techniques and even tried CPR on a dummy.

Justin and Dave from the business also gave kids a chance to use power tools while promoting their DIY courses.

Lindfield Repair Café www.lindfieldrepaircafe.org is next open on Saturday, April 6 (United Reformed Church 10am-1pm) and will host Greener Lindfield (www.facebook.com/groups/greenerlindfield/) for a Pot, Seed and Plant Swap.

Trevor Carpenter, founder of Lindfield Repair Café, said: “Community initiatives like Greener Lindfield are fantastic partners for the Café because of the values we share: sustainability, keeping unwanted items out of landfill and saving people money. Each month we host a community initiative in our lounge area and give kids the opportunity to learn new skills at our children's table.”

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At the March event there were more than 100 visitors and 90 repairs carried out. It was so busy that cake supplies ran out before the end. If anyone would like to bake a cake for the community more are always welcome.

After a 72-year-old teddy was rejuvenated last month, the café offered the same treatment to other bears this month, including one less than 10cm tall who was over 50 years old.

Next month's Pot, Seed and Plant Swap will help villagers share plants and seeds with their neighbours and keep stacks of plant pots out of landfill. Bring along your spare pots, plants or seeds and take home something for yourself. Greener Lindfield will help kids plant their own sunflower seeds to take home.

Lindfield Repair Cafe also offers woodwork repairs for items such as small furniture, antiques and wooden boxes. In fact, anything wooden that you can carry in. The Repair Cafe is looking for more volunteers who enjoy working with children and could help with activities in the Kids’ Room (alongside parental/carer supervision). The café, which is at United Reformed Church, 52 High Street, Lindfield, (10am to 1pm), offers computer advice too but does not have spare parts.

How to Basically, who run DIY courses locally, have recently started to run Ofqual regulated, nationally recognised First Aid Courses instructed by Dave Critchley who is an ex-paramedic. For more information email [email protected].