Eco-friendly volunteers get fixing as new Repair Cafe launches on Hayling Island

Run by volunteers, Repair Cafes are regular community and social events which offer free repairs and refreshments.

They aim to reduce our impact on the environment by reducing landfill and the subsequent CO2 emissions, and to also make savings for visitors by repairing rather than replacing items.

On the new Hayling Repair Cafe launch day, held September 24, friends and family of the cafe volunteers brought in 15 items for assessment.

Six of those were repaired, three were unrepairable and six can be repaired at home (after advice given) or at the next Repair Cafe once spare parts had been obtained.

Organisers said that all the volunteers seemed to enjoy the morning, whether they were meeting and greeting visitors, administering registration forms, serving refreshments or exploring the various broken items and using their skills to give them a new lease of life.

The Mayor of Havant, councillor Diana Patrick, and her consort visited to lend their support and chat with the volunteers.

There were also visits from The Hayling Lions, the local Hampshire County councillor Lance Quantrill, and Martha Dombey, a repairer from Havant Repair Cafe.

Home-made cakes and hot drinks were enjoyed by volunteers and visitors, and the cake recipes were available for anyone wishing to try them at home.

The first of Repair Cafe Hayling’s public events will take place on Saturday, October 29, at the URC Hall, Hollow Lane, and already have some repairs booked in.

Contact the group for future repairs on [email protected].