In numbers – Stratford Repair Cafe mended more than 600 items
THROUGHOUT the past year the Stratford Repair Café has been doing its bit in the war on waste by making good numerous items that would have been chucked into landfill.
The café welcomed more than 540 visitors, handled 815 items and repaired 631 of them (77 per cent).
It’s calculated that 2.7 tonnes were kept out of landfill, which prevented 1.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions from the production of replacements. That’s the equivalent of driving a typical car about 30,000 miles.
Organiser Paul Fairburn told the Herald: “The most popular repair was tool sharpening, and many kinds of electrical appliances have been fixed. We hope that in 2024 even more IT and sewing items will be brought in for repair as there has sometimes been spare capacity.”
The café, set up in 2022 by Stratford Town Trust and Net Zero Stratford, began 2023 with worrying news. Foundation House on Masons Road, where the monthly events were being held, looked under threat as the town trust’s landlord threatened to take back possession.
Mr Fairburn continued: “When the landlord pushed ahead with giving everyone notice to quit, the race to find a new home began. Luckily we had already cancelled the May event as it would have clashed with the Coronation.
“The Methodist Church in New Town was available and, being an eco-church, they welcomed the monthly event. It offered a bigger space than Foundation House, able to accommodate other green organisations like the Give and Take stall which encourages re-use.
“Attendance was low in June due to poor local awareness, but the December event handled over 70 items for repair.”
The Repair Café is usually on the first Saturday of each month, but 2024 sees a temporary change – the first two dates are 20th January and 2nd March.
Stephen Norrie of Net Zero Stratford said: “We’re really pleased the Repair Café has been a success, and that the move to new premises has gone well. In the new year, we hope to be able to get people from different backgrounds, especially younger people, interested in repairing things to give them a new lease of life.”
