When is the Cafe Open?
Repair Cafe Gosport is a monthly event on the 2nd Saturday of the Month from 10:30 am to 1 pm at various locations in Gosport. Please look at our booking system or Facebook events to find out where the events will be. Guests are asked to Request a Booking in advance of the event.
Are there any restrictions on what I can bring in for repair?
The main purpose of a repair cafe is to help fix things that would otherwise be thrown away. We generally suggest alternative repair options for high-value or sentimental items.
It is difficult to provide a definitive list of everything we can help with, but we generally accept most household items, including electrical items with a UK plug. There are some exceptions, listed below.
We do not repair anything unsafe to repair or we can guarantee it will be safe after repair, including:
- Anything that can not be safely carried by one person, e.g. freezers, washing machines, large items of furniture
- Anything that operates from petrol or gas, for example, chainsaws or small motorbikes
- Anything with internal high voltages or dangerous components, including Microwaves, Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) televisions, Plasma Lamps, and Flash Guns.
- Anything with radioactive sources, including fire alarms and antique clocks with glow-in-the-dark paint
- Anything with large capacity Li-po batteries, for example, e-scooters, e-bikes or hoverboards
- Safety equipment, for example, bike helmets, car seats or carbon monoxide alarms
- Anything we can not safely test to our satisfaction. We use a process very similar to the Portable Appliance Test (PAT) for electrical items. Some items are not designed to be tested in this way; therefore, we cannot safely test them at the end.
We try to avoid offering a free service that impacts the local businesses offering reasonably priced repair service. Therefore, we generally don’t help guests with the following:
- Mobile Phone
- Laptops or Computers
We can help with mobile phones or laptops if you only want to borrow a specialist tool to repair them yourself at our event.
Our volunteers make the final decision on whether to repair an item, and we may not attempt a repair for the following reasons:
- 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
- Attempting a repair is not in the best interests; there are generally three reasons for this:
- Attempting a repair may reduce its value, for example, some items are worth a considerable amount even when broken, so it is better to sell them rather than attempt a repair.
- Attempting a repair will undermine your legal rights. In the case of recently bought items, you can often return it to the retailer for a replacement or refund.
- Our volunteers cannot be confident that the guest understands the risks associated with repairing an item. Sometimes attempting to repair an item can cause damage. If there is likely to be distress or discontent in the event of damage, we will not attempt to repair it.
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 by an accompanying adult whilst they visit.
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 which part is needed when you book in. We will recommend that 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 cannot store your 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. You will need to arrange disposal or recycling for anything that can not be fixed.
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 use a booking system to help avoid to many people coming at the same time. It is not always easy to predict how long things will take to fix and the order we help guests is based on the availability of suitable volunteers. Therefore, you may have to wait.
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 culture of reuse by helping people learn to fix 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 fix 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 host our events, as well as volunteers to help our guests with broken items.
Do I need to be an expert to volunteer as a Repairer?
No, many repairs are simple; the simplest cases are misunderstandings about how something works. 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 also welcome experts, no matter what your skill level, the community can benefit from your help.