Repair Revolution is Back!
By Neha Gosalia, Sustainable Queenstown ResOURceful Communities Coordinator
Recent extreme climate events and unseasonable weather got your eco-anxiety at an all time high? Join the Repair Revolution and be a part of the solution!.
As part of the ResOURceful Communities program, Repair Revolution brings FREE Repair Cafes to the community, where volunteer fixers, or as we like to call them, Repair Heroes, share their skills and knowledge. Members of the community (that’s YOU!) can bring broken household items and get them repaired for free, learn how to do the repairs themselves, and of course- save them from ending up in landfill.
Sustainable Queenstown held the first Repair Cafe in Frankton on 15th April, supported by 9 repairers with a wide range of skills. Volunteers fixed everything from designer handbags to vintage jewellery, from broken zips and ripped seams, to remote control cars and lawnmowers! Of the 63 items brought in, 49 were fully fixed, and the rest were either partially fixed, or needed parts or professional attention. Only 1 item was broken beyond repair.
What’s beautiful about these events is the stories that people often have about items that are well loved or passed down through generations, and their absolute joy when they learn how it can be given a new lease on life, like when a ‘My First Teddy’ got his smile back! Our repairers are just as passionate as they are skilled, and take the time to talk to people about how to care for their items. If they’re unable to fix an item on the spot, the owner walks away with a ‘Homework’ sheet on what steps need to be taken. We hope that repair culture becomes infectious, and changes the way our community thinks about our possessions.
This Sunday, we are hosting the first ever Repair Cafe in Glenorchy, at the community hall. For this event we have partnered with Zero Waste Glenorchy, who are a group of dedicated individuals working towards the goal of being a zero waste community by 2035. We are excited to welcome Glenorchy’s local Repair Heroes to our team. Here’s what they can help you fix:
- Clothing and Accessories
- Curtains and Upholstery
- Furniture
- Electrical Appliances
- Bikes and Trikes
- Toys
- Skis and other sporting goods
- Computers, Laptops, Macbooks, etc.
If you’ve got skills you could add to the list above, or would like to help out with general operations at the event, get in touch with Neha - sq.resourcefulcommunities@gmail.com
Event: Glenorchy Repair Cafe (facebook.com/sustainablequeenstown)
Where: Glenorchy Hall, 31 Mull St
When: Sunday 7th May, 11am - 3pm
ResOURceful Communities is created by Wastebusters. Sustainable Queenstown is proud to partner with Wastebusters to deliver Resourceful Communities in the Whakatipu.
