How a make do and mend café fixed a community (and my car)
'Typically, I'm in charge of sharpening knives, tools and secateurs,' he says. 'But the carpentry team asked if I could help resize these pieces of wood.'
Power tools are not typically associated with the Anglican church but once a month, this Grade II listed landmark is the setting for the Chiswick Repair Café, a voluntary initiative established to help reduce waste, share repair skills and bring a community together.
The Rise of Repair Cafés
There's been a rise in repair cafés across the UK in recent years. Held in community centres, churches, cafés, libraries and even pubs, these monthly meet-ups are a place where people can get their broken things fixed – everything from toasters that no longer pop to moth-eaten sweaters – often free of charge.
The first repair café opened in Amsterdam in 2009 and today there are over 3,600 worldwide – everywhere from Alaska to New Zealand – driven by a desire to both combat throwaway culture and to strengthen local ties. In the UK there are more than 700 repair cafés up and running.
The Chiswick Repair Café was launched in October 2022 by three local residents Charlotte Bullock, Jill Spencer and Marie-Claire Meisels who met through Hounslow Council's initiative to create 'environmental champions'.
'We were all doing our own environmental initiatives when we met, such as planting trees and litter picking,' says Marie-Claire 'but we wanted to do something more.'
The trio joined the Netherlands-based Repair Café Foundation and spoke to the founders of the Twickenham Repair Café, which had started a few months earlier. After receiving a £1,000 'Thriving Communities' grant from the London Borough of Hounslow, securing the church space and finding willing repairers, they were good to go. Today, they have a team of 50 volunteers.
A Broken Pedal-Car
I have not arrived empty-handed, and I manoeuvre my way into the church entrance hall carrying my husband's navy blue metal Tri-ang pedal car in the shape of a Jaguar E-Type Series I Roadster. The car was a present for his fifth birthday and, for the longest time, it was his pride and joy. Now in need of a serious overhaul, I wondered if the repairers could help.
I meet Ginny, one of the volunteers, who hands me a form to complete with details of my broken item, and I find an empty chair among the crowd of people waiting for a repairer to come available. Fortunately, there's coffee and cake (made by founder Jill) to distract us.
Sitting next to me is Sarah Hymendorf who has brought along a small cream-coloured ceramic jug that belongs to a tea set from the early 1950s.
'I was given this tea service by my godmother when I was five,' says Sarah. 'I want to give it to my little granddaughter but the handle on the jug is broken so I'm hoping that they will be able to fix it here.'
When it's my turn, I'm directed to a table manned by Brett Moss and Bryan Smith who describe their station as the 'woodwork and odd projects' desk. They look at my pedal car with a mixture of intrigue and, I think, trepidation but it's not long before they discover why the car has not been driving in a straight line for some 40-odd years.
'This wheel is not attached to the driving mechanism,' explains Scotsman Bryan, pointing at the front left wheel spinning freely.
An industrial designer by trade, Byran has been with the Repair Café since it started.
'I love seeing the look on people's faces when they bring in something that they've broken and it belonged to their parents or grandparents and you can fix it for them,' he says.
The hall is a hive of activity. There are teams dedicated to electrics, electronics, sewing, woodwork, toy fixing, knife sharpening, jewellery repair, ceramics and bikes, all staffed by talented volunteers.
Working alongside Brett and Bryan are Jit Patel and Steve Shotton who are trying to screw a castor back onto the leg of an antique wooden Captain's Chair that local Adrian Gardener has brought in.
'These guys are just wonderful,' says Adrian. 'They just save things that people really like.'
A Sense of Community
Sat at a table around the corner is Ralph Charlwood, in charge of ceramics. 'A lot of the stuff I do has real sentimental value,' he says, handing a repaired glass bowl back to regular visitor Maggie. 'I've fixed a lot of children's plates and recently repaired a dish that was given to a lady for her 21st birthday in 1961.'
But this is not the only reason why Ralph enjoys volunteering.
'It's the community aspect,' he says. 'There's a group bonding in a common purpose. In terms of getting people away from sitting in front of a screen and getting out and doing something, it's amazing.'
Sitting at a large table towards the chancel are 10 women busy darning sweaters, re-stringing jewellery and repairing clothes. Much-loved teddy bears are another speciality.
'One woman brought in her grandfather's teddy bear that he had taken to the trenches in World War One,' says Dee Carpenter. 'It needed new stuffing and an ear sewn on. The woman was overcome when I finished – we were all completely overcome.'
At another table, new volunteer Martin Essayan is busy adjusting the 'wonky' hands on a large wall clock for Francesca Raine who has come with her two-year-old daughter, Aurora.
'I retired in November and now volunteer at three different repair cafés,' says Martin. 'I love it because it's so rewarding. A lot of the time the repairs are not fundamentally difficult so what we try and do is teach people and encourage them to have a go.'
Not everything can always be repaired, however. Secateurs-sharpening specialist Martin recalls someone arriving with a 1920s typewriter with no moving parts.
'It was a bit too much of a challenge for us to take on,' he says.
Overall, the café's repair success rate is high. In 2024, the team completed nearly 800 repairs across nine events and in doing so, saved 1.4 tons of stuff from going into landfill.
'Normally I throw everything away or donate it to a charity shop,' says the clock owner Francesca. 'But I'll definitely come back, everyone's been super friendly.'
As closing time looms, I head back to see how Bryan and Brett have got on with my husband's pedal car.
'You could have given us an easier fix,' laughs Brett. Nevertheless, the duo has managed to re-attach the wheel to the driving mechanism and I head home happy with a successful repair in hand.
Top tips for repairing at home
If you want to make-do-and-mend, then follow these tips.
Use the right glue
'If anything needs glueing, use the right glue,' says Ralph Charlwood, who has 40 different glues. 'It's tempting to stick superglue on anything broken but one of the principles with repairing stuff is reversibility or retractability. You need to be able to rewind a bad fix and with superglue it's hard to do that. Make sure you have the right glue for the right material'
Practise furniture maintenance
Furniture needs to be maintained to ensure its longevity. That means checking the joints once or twice a year on wooden furniture and tightening the screws where necessary. Protect fabric furniture with stain protection spray, such as Scotchgard or RepelWell.
Prevent moths
'If you find you have moths then put the item with moth holes in a plastic bag and place it into the freezer so that the moth eggs die,' says Susan Pearce who volunteers on the sewing table. 'Leave it overnight and then take it out, shake it and it's sorted.'
Check the fuse first
'I always say to check the fuse first,' says Pedro Borrero on the electronics table. 'And then watch YouTube videos, usually the most common problems will have some kind of guide online.'
Keep your knives and scissors sharp
Knives can last for years and years if they are properly looked after. Invest in a Japanese whetstone, rectangular blocks of grinding stone, that ensure your knives are razor sharp. Remember to keep the angle constant when sharpening.
Don't be afraid to take things apart
'Don't be afraid to take it apart,' says Richard Jenkins who volunteers on the electronics team. 'If it's already broken, it's going in the bin anyway so you might as well try, you won't make it any worse – but remember to unplug it first!'
Extend the life of your bike
Many bicycle problems can be prevented by regularly cleaning your bike with hot, soapy water and a garden hose. Tighten any loose parts with a wrench and use WD40 on moving parts to make the bike run smoother – just don't spray it on the chain! Bike chains require a special chain grease. Options include Finish Line Dry, Fenwicks all-condition or Muc-Off wet lube.
Try, try again
'Don't get discouraged by the first failure you have,' says Brett Moss. 'It's not going to go right the first time round; you usually have to try something and then re-do it.'
Learn to sew
Learning to replace buttons and hemming trousers can ensure your clothes last longer. Look to YouTube for handy tutorials, like Evelyn Wood 's Vintage Dressmaking Skills for Modern Sewing.
Use the Library of Things
Londoners can borrow useful household items from the Library of Things, a social enterprise where you can borrow equipment – everything from drills and sewing machines to pressure washers and carpet cleaners – at a fraction of what it costs from big companies or buying a new one.
The Library of Things has 21 kiosks across London where you can collect your thing(s) and return them when you are done.
How to find your local repair café
Most repair cafés take place once a month where you can bring your broken or worn items and volunteer repairers help to mend them, teach repair skills and give advice on what can be done. Visitors typically pay for any necessary parts and are asked to make a donation to the running costs. You can find your nearest repair café here.
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