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We have a special team of wonderful, dedicated volunteers that are a valued part of Repair Cafe. They love the opportunity to take you along-side and together work on whatever item of repair or creative project you may have. Susanna, is a valued part of Repair Cafe and on any given Saturday you can see her involved in any number of projects. She shares her story of what brought her to the Repair Cafe.
“I first visited the Repair Cafe back in 2016 at the Community College in Mullumbimby. I absolutely loved the concept and I left happily with my repaired items.
When the catastrophic floods hit in February 2022 I wanted to help. I knew I didn’t want to be pulling mud-caked belongings out of homes, to pile them in frontyards. I wanted to repair or save people’s belongings, not turf them out for landfill.
I had seen on social media that Repair Cafe was now hosted by Shedding at the Mullumbimby Commons, so I headed there.
I and many others headed there. We each did what we could. Teams set out with vans, trailers and trucks to gather, with the owner’s permission, the white goods and solid timber furniture that could be saved. Folk cleaned, repaired and catalogued. Others turned up and fed us, daily.
From a Saturday afternoon event, the Repair Cafe grew to seven days a week, for the next six weeks. It was phenomenal — grass roots up-welling I’d not seen the like of since the Bentley blockade.
Shortly after, the Common’s lease ended, Shedding needed a new home. A few months later Shedding Community Workshop opened it’s doors in Prince Street, the big shed, past the train station. Setting up this cavernous space to facilitate Repair Cafe was a mammoth undertaking. Tool walls were built, benches put in place. The tea and coffee corner were set up with the espresso machine. Fancy! The ‘old’ repairers regrouped and new volunteers arrived.
In the big shed, Repair Cafe has thrived. Each Saturday from 1.30pm, you’ll find us turning up; a diverse crew of repairers, coffee makers, meet and greet folk, and people with their multitude of wonky, torn and worn items for repair. Everyone is welcome.
I love the Shedding Community Workshop values of inclusivity and wellbeing. I love our resourcefulness. I love the opportunity for learning and growth. I love that I get to engage in parallel play with others, a boon for my AuDHD self.
See you in the Shed!”
Remember, don’t ‘throw it away’. You never know if that broken lamp, chair, vacuum, appliance, antique, or any other number of items can be repaired.
Come into the Repair Cafe every Saturday from 1.30-4.30pm and let’s see what we can do together.
Our passionate crew is eager to assist you in whatever repairs or reconditioning your items may need. They love doing it and getting you involved in the process!
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