So You Want to Set Up a Repair Café?

Repair Cafés are unique community spaces that champion sustainability and foster resilient, regenerative, restorative communities. Since 2017, when we opened the doors to our repair Café in Horsham, Sussex Green Living has been at the forefront of this movement.

Now there are eight Repair Cafés within Horsham District, four having opened in 2023. We are proud to have mentored and inspired over 25 in West Sussex, Malvern Hills, Yorkshire and Cardiff – county borders are not a barrier!

Setting up a local repair Café may seem daunting, but it’s simpler than you think. We’ve created a comprehensive guide, and our friendly and experienced volunteers will support you to get started and keep going.

If you’re considering starting a Repair Café you will need to, among other things, consider the following:

• Research what a repair Café does, how it operates and what services it offers.
• Assess local interest and find out what your area needs.
• Recruit your volunteers
• Find a venue
• Equip yourself with all the right tools
• Promote your events and services
• Collaborate locally to be able to offer a broad range of services in one place.
• Maintain records so you know how well you’re doing and where any improvements need to be made
• Keep talking about it!

Remember to promote the benefits of Repair Cafés always, here’s a useful acronym: S.P.A.C.C.E.

S: Skills development
P: Promoting sustainable and mindful consumption
A: Awareness of the consequences of consumerism
C: Cost savings
C: Community building
E: Environmental impact, reducing waste

The Repair Café culture is thriving and with it a commitment to community and environmental well-being.

Horsham Repair Café is just one of several successful models from stand-alone to large community hubs and village tiny-eco-hubs which offer other services tailored to the local community – Which one will you be?

If you would like to join the movement and with us repair, repurpose, and renew our world, email cort@sussexgreenliving.co.uk today and request a copy of our guide to ‘How To Set Up A Repair Café’.

Learn more about our Sussex Green Hub/Horsham Repair Café and find your nearest Repair Café here https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/