When is the Cafe Open?
Repair Cafe Gosport is a monthly event held at MAKE GOSPORT the community makerspace. Held on the 2nd Saturday of the Month from 10:30am to 1pm. Guests are asked to Request a Booking in advance of the event.
Are there any restrictions on what I can bring to be repaired?
We need to make sure that repairs are safe for both our volunteers and guests. It is difficult to provide a definitive list but we generally accept most household items, the following are excluded:
– Anything that can not be safely carried by one person, e.g. freezers, washing machines
– Anything that has internal high voltages or dangerous components, this includes Microwaves, Cathode Raye Tube (CRT) televisions, Plasma Lamps.
In some cases, we may be unable to repair an item and that decision lies with our volunteers, example:
– The item is unlikely to be safe after repair
– The item is too dirty to be handled
– The item needs specialist knowledge or tools which we don’t have access to
– The repair will take too long
Can children come along with me to Repair Cafe?
Yes, we welcome children and want them to learn about repairing and reuse. We do need them to be supervised whilst they visit by an accompanying adult.
Do you need broken things for volunteers to practice on?
Most of our volunteers already have personal repair projects to practice on. Unfortunately, we can’t store any items so we can not accept more projects.
What happens if I need a spare part?
Sometimes it is possible to advise what part is needed when you book in, we will recommend you buy the part in preparation for your visit. In many cases, we will help you identify the part when you visit so you can buy it to fit yourself or return to another event to work with our volunteers to fit the spare part. We can not store items between sessions so you will need to take the broken item away and bring it back next time.
Can you arrange the disposal of a broken thing?
We can not arrange for the disposal of broken things so cannot arrange disposal or recycling.
Do you accept broken things to fix and sell to raise money?
We do not currently offer this. We recommend selling your item as broken/for spares online. Many items are still worth money when sold like this.
Can I choose the time I visit?
Repair Cafe is very popular and we need to allocate appointments to balance the types of repair with the available volunteers. We will try to accommodate requests for a specific time but it is not always possible.
Can I drop off my broken thing and pick it up when it is fixed?
The Repair Cafe is not a drop off service. Our main aim is to promote a reuse culture, by helping people learn about fixing things. Guests are expected to participate in the repair process as much as possible so you must remain with your item.
Do I need to pay for Repair Cafe to fix my broken item?
No, Repair Cafe is free to anyone in the community who needs our help. However, we rely on donations to fund the costs. Each session costs approximately £170 to run, if each guest who can afford it made a donation of £10 towards the costs, Repair Cafe can be available to all.
What happens if the Broken item can not be fixed or the repair attempt fails?
We succeed in fixing things about 50% of the time, but in some cases, it is not possible to repair an item. The guest is responsible for taking their item away. We can not guarantee that we will be able to reassemble it.
If I volunteer can I still get things fixed?
Yes, many of our volunteers have expertise in one area but need help with something else.
Do you need more volunteers?
Yes, Repair Cafe is often limited by the number of volunteers, we welcome anyone who would like to offer their time to the community. We need people to help with hosting our events as well as volunteers to help our guests with their broken things.
Do I need to be an expert to volunteer as a Repairer?
No, many repairs are simple, the simplest cases are misunderstanding about how something work. For example several times a year we help someone empty their vacuum cleaner. If you are willing to take a systematic approach to a problem you can help the community.
We do also welcome experts no matter what your skill level the community can benefit from your help.