Our most repair cafe on Saturday 30.09.23 was another great success. We saw some people return and some new people. All equipped with items to repair.
The participants were guided in their repairs by a local dressmaker and local volunteers.
Jeans were shortened, Rips were mended, a dress was adapted, a scout leader made bunting from scouting neckerchiefs, hats were mended and much more.
2 Repair cafes held in June - for bicycles and Clothing.
Great success and lots of items repaired. Both these events generated good interest for future cafes currently being planned
Action plan:
Timeline: When will you be able to start your project? How often will your team meet? Are there any key dates to share for the project?
Our Project began with a “kick start/ Information” meeting held over Zoom on 03.04. This attracted a sufficient number of people (many more could not attend) to get the ball rolling. It is envisioned that our first cafe will take place in May.. After this we aim to host a café every 1 to 2 months (summer period excluded)
Budget: You don't need to share exact prices, but please share how you're planning to spend the seed funding & what costs you're anticipating getting your project up and running:
We are liaising with other existing Repair cafes on investments they made so that we make informed decisions on what is needed and what is useful based on their experiences.
Impact: How will your community benefit from this project? Do you have any measurable goals for your project, such as the number of people that will participate? Are you hoping to spread knowledge or increase interest in a specific subject?
The passing on of preloved items in Rush has risen in popularity since the creation of a “Rush Free Stuff” page by Rush Tidy Towns in 2020. Similarly, there is increased interest in the circular economy since the creation of “Zero Waste Communities” in 2021 by Rush Tidy Towns. Within the scope of the Zero waste Communities, 2 Upcycle workshops held in 2022 were very popular. Rush Repair Café aims to increase the potential for community repair to contribute towards the development of a circular economy. Through a team of Volunteers, we aim to reduce repairable items being sent to landfill while valuing the repair skills of our volunteers enabling the users of the repair café to learn new skills in a relaxed and hands on setting. There is a keen interest from senior members of our community to pass on their skills and we aim to build on this.
Initially we will focus on Textile, small furniture, and bicycle repair.
Both Rush Tidy towns and the Zero waste Community have large social media followings. These will be utilised to increase awareness of the project and to inform of the impact. Similarly local newspapers and notice boards will be used. We will also leverage our good relationships with other community groups such as sporting groups, senior citizens etc.
Location: If your project requires physical space, have you decided the location? Do you have all necessary permission and permits to carry out your project at the chosen location?
The repair cafes will be Rush Community Centre. This is a centre in the middle of town that hosts many Tidy towns activities as well as other community events. As Rush Tidy Towns is a subgroup of the community Council we are able to host events here free of charge and our activities are covered under their insurance. We are currently liaising with them to ensure that the Repair Café is covered under their Public Liability Insurance. Failing this some of the seed funding will need to be allocated towards this.
