On the 1st Saturday of the month we bring people together to give the objects we share our world with a second lease of life and to chat and have a cuppa whilst we're at it!
In the run up to Repair Day this Saturday we’d like to know which is your favourite repair shop or service in Brighton & Hove?
Let us know via:
Email: brightonrepaircafe@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightonrepcafe
Twitter: @Brightonrepcafe
#RepairDay #RepairIsEssential
Our team of amazing Fixsters will be online again and able to give you advice about fixing your broken objects – helping diagnose the problem, working out whether it can be repaired, how to go about it and where to get parts or help. All during an informal and friendly chat!
We can give advice on anything from clothing and textiles to electrical goods, furniture or computer, tablet or mobile phone software issues. We are limiting it to one item per person – so make it count!
To register your cherished item email brightonrepaircafe@gmail.com and let us know what it is & the issue with it.
We will invite you to sign up with details about how the event works, then we’ll see you on the zoom call.
*If we have to restrict numbers places will be on a first come first served basis.
Our lovely repair volunteers are used to helping people learn to repair their things at our face to face monthly events. These online events are a bit different as we can’t get so hands on… BUT we’ve had some great sessions online so far and we’re looking forward to helping you next!
Or join our Facebook group to connect with us online:
We asked people to email us to say they wanted to take part with a photo or description of the item that needed repairing. This not only helped with managing the number of participants and safeguarding (instead of publishing the zoom call details publicly for anyone to join without contacting us first) but once we had received an email we could also forward the details of the item to the appropriate volunteers so they could be prepared for the call.
We also sent out two forms to the prospective participants. The “House Rules” – which we asked them to read, sign/print their name and date and send them back to complete their registration – and a “How it Works” sheet to help participants and volunteers understand what to expect and how to navigate the zoom call.
We used a free zoom account. This meant no ‘breakout rooms’ everyone listened in as we went through each item and we were careful to keep things moving along (about 10 mins/item). The call lasted just over an hour which felt like just the right amount of time – we asked everyone to log back in once the 40 minute time limit was up and let people know they could leave once their item had been discussed (a few stayed on to listen).
One of the great things about it was that the whole BRC team got to offer advice on each item – whether that was how to repair it, where to get parts, who might be able to help in the local area, or about how to get the manufacturers to take responsibility (if the item is under 6 years old it’s covered by the 2015 Consumer Rights Act and the manufacturer should replace or repair it). This meant participants received a range of advice from low level effort/skill/confidence/tools needed to higher level. They could then work out what they could do to fix the item.
We had some lovely feedback after the event:
“Thank you so much for that session. It was really interesting to hear everyone’s approaches to fixing things.
I have squirted some 3 in 1 oil on a couple of sticky parts in the zigzag mechanism and the sewing is almost perfectly straight now. Once it has worked its way through, I think it will have solved the problem.
I would be interested to join in future even without anything to fix as it is a great way of learning and picking up tips.
Thanks everyone!”
“Thank you loads again Brighton Repair Cafe Team for all your wonderful help and advice you all gave tonight, not just for my items, I really found it helpful listening to the advice about the items other people brought too.
Thank you all for your time, energy, wisdom, care, advice and info 🙂
I actually live in Eastbourne, so being able to join you all online is really great for me….. Might you consider holding a cafe online now and again after lockdown?”
The answer is yes, we are considering whether to continue online advisory sessions once we can get the physical events back up and running but in the mean time…
We are planning to hold another online event in a month’s time on the
28th July 7:30-8:30pm. You are welcome to join us.
Please email brightonrepaircafe@gmail.com to register your item.
After a quiet period of reflection on the future of community repair and how to keep it going in the Covid-19 era we are embarking on holding online events.
These will be advisory sessions and a chance to get advice from our amazing volunteers who are repair experts in different areas from sewing and textiles to electrical goods and computer software.
On Tuesday 30th June from 7:30-8:30pm our team of amazing Fixsters will be on a Zoom meeting where they will be able to give you advice about fixing your broken objects – helping diagnose the problem, whether it can be repaired, how to go about it and where to get parts or help.
We are limiting it to one item per person and you need to email brightonrepaircafe@gmail.com to register your item and get information about how to join the Zoom call, the house rules and how it will work.
Items might include anything from clothing and textiles to electrical goods, furniture or computer software issues.
We may have to restrict numbers so this will be on a first come first served basis.
Please remember this is all new to us as we are used to repairing together face to face… but let’s give this a go!
We’d like to thank Outift @emmausbrighton for hosting us for the BIG FIX 2020 with such style and kindness. We had a great session repairing 25 items that otherwise may have gone to landfill included in this were 11 toys so one little boy went home very happy and with ideas about how to fix the rest of his stash of loved but broken toys.
In addition to our usual monthly repair we are excited to announce that we are part of a very special event this month…
The Brighton Repair Café are holding a repair cafe at Outfit@Emmaus as part of the Big Fix 2020. The our team of volunteers will be in store to teach the community and customers how to fix their things. We will be repairing clothing and textiles and showing creative approaches to mending bric-a-brac and small items of furniture.
To take part in the world’s biggest repair day of 2020, simply bring along your clothing that needs a revival or your small furniture, such as chairs and bric a brac for mending. Sign in on arrival for your mending session with one of our repair experts.
Nothing to fix but would like to take part? Learn or share a skill by joining the Brighton Repair Cafe team to mend damaged items that have been donated to Emmaus!
If you can then we need you!
Please come and join our merry band as a volunteer.
It’s only a 3 hour commitment per month (on the last Saturday of each month) at The Hanover Centre, Southover Street, Brighton.
You’ll be rewarded with tea, biscuits and that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you do something to help others! 😀
Our last repair cafe of the year is coming up on the 30th November.
Come and learn to darn your woollens, sew your clothes and textiles, fix your small electrical goods and any other bits and bobs that need glueing, soldering or a bit of creative repairing!
On the 25th May 10:30am-12:30pm. This month our repair team will be able to show you how to fix your small electrical goods, bikes, clothing and textiles.
One item per person and be prepared for queueing if you have electrical items!
There will also be a Plant Swap taking place in the gardens of the Hanover Centre:
We hope to see you there!
Brighton Repair Café 