Repair Café returns to Leighton Buzzard next weekend

After taking a well-earned summer break, the Repair Café, Leighton Buzzard is back this autumn.

Go along with your broken items for repair. They are also looking forward to the upcoming International Repair Day in October which is biggest day in repair calendar.

The message for this year's campaign is "Repair is for Everyone". Watch this space for more info.

The next Repair Café session will happen on Saturday, September 30 from 10.30am to 1.30pm at the regular venue of the Conservative Club on the High Street, Leighton Buzzard. Further monthly sessions are then planned for Saturday, October 28 and Saturday, November 25.

At its September event, they are pleased to announce that, for first time, it will be offering clock and watch repair advice thanks to Dean Quy from Stephen’s Alans Jewellers.

Additionally, as part of co-ordinated repair efforts, bike repair will be available provided by the Buzz Cycles group - https://www.facebook.com/Leightonbuzzcycles/ - who will have a stall at Leighton Buzzard market from 10am to 4pm.

For those unfamiliar with the Repair Café concept they are a fantastic community and inter-generational initiatives which generally happen monthly.

They provide a space and chance to share skills, save waste and save money. Attending the Repair Café is free (and cake or biscuits are provided), although donations are welcome to cover costs such as insurance or tools.

Visitors are also expected to pay the cost of any spare parts. You will need to sign a disclaimer and you can book to attend online (if you can) at https://repaircafe.leightonbuzzard.org but don’t let that put you off!

Since the Repair Café LB opened its doors for the first time in March 2023, they’ve held five events, fixed items owned by around 168 people, saved over 96 kilos of waste and prevented 801 kilos of CO2 emissions.

During that time, volunteers have worked on over 157 items of which 88 have fixed, 44 are repairable or are awaiting parts, and 25 are deemed as end-of-life.

Its also seen an eclectic range of items brought in – ranging from lamps, chairs, toasters, a pool pump, fan and seasonal items such as lawnmowers and also some wonderful heritage items such as an Essex sewing machine, an old Paddington bear in need of TLC and a Kodak brownie projector.

At its most recent event in July, they had its most popular session yet, with 23 items fixed, preventing 34 kilos of waste and 205 kilos in CO2 emissions.

The cafe is looking to have even more repair successes at its upcoming events, and are looking forward to celebrating October’s International Repair Day (which is happening on October 21). The theme for this day is “Repair for Everyone”.

The Repair Cafe Leighton Buzzard will actually be marking this occasion on 28 October 2023 when we plan to sign as a group, the new UK Repair and Reuse Declaration which calls for a real right to repair and will update the original Manchester Declaration dating back to 6 October 2018 when the UK’s community repair movement came together to call on policymakers, products manufacturers and designers to provide a universal right to repair.

Despite a growing UK repair movement, many items remain impossible to repair – so the UK needs a stronger, legal right to repair, with repairability built in from start.

It’s important to make repair accessible for EVERYONE. Repair can sometimes feel expensive compared to buying a cheap replacement (which might also quickly breakdown).

They will be calling on local people, the local council and councillors and the local MP, Andrew Selous to sign the updated declaration which will be launched nationally on October 21 at - https://repairreusedeclaration.uk/ - so watch this space.