GirlAbout Sussex recommends Lindfield Repair Cafe

At GirlAbout, we are all about supporting our communities and local businesses. When I heard about the Lindfield Repair Cafe, I thought it was such a brilliant idea that I just had to share it with you.

Lindfield Repair Cafe is the brainchild of local Dad, Trevor Carpenter, who was influenced by his seven-year-old son’s school project on recycling. Trevor decided he wanted to do his part to reduce waste but his idea quickly grew to involve the wider West Sussex community too.

The Lindfield Repair Cafe concept is simple, with community right at the heart: people can attend on the first Saturday of every month at the United Reform Church and they can bring along items that they wish to be repaired by expert volunteers. They can then make a donation which goes to local charities.

Last Saturday, 4 December, over 100 visitors brought items to be repaired by the 30 local fixers, which include sewing experts, electricians, computer technicians, clock repairers, bike specialists and gardeners.

This was only the second event held by Lindfield Repair Cafe and it is already proving very popular. Items successfully mended included a 1980s microwave, clocks, lamps, bikes, a chipped commerative plate, a beautiful model carousel, a doll with a detached arm and some other personal keepsakes.

There’s obviously a cafe on site too serving hot drinks and cakes (also made by local volunteers), so anyone can pop in to socialise and experience the community vibe.

The ‘if it’s broke, fix it” approach is one that is very close to my heart and aside from the goal of reducing waste, the other aim of the cafe is to provide a meeting place to bring people together.

The next event will be held on Saturday, 8 January, where Lindfield Repair Cafe is collecting unwanted laptops and computers for Computers for Kids, a local community charity. The charity repairs second hand computers and donates them to children to aid them in their school work. Children who come along to the event will be able to take old computers apart themselves at the Kids Table.

Lindfield Repair Café is open on the first Saturday of every month at the United Reformed Church, 52 High Street, Lindfield from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (On bank holiday weekends the date will move to the second Saturday of the month)

To attend or volunteer, visit the website link below.