How do I start a repair cafe in my community?

​By Michelle Fisher

First check to see if there's a repair cafe or fixit initiative in your area already. You can check the map hosted by the International Repair Foundation for registered repair cafes around the world. We keep a map for Victoria where we try to keep track of existing, proposed and potential repair cafes in our State. You can also check with your local community centre or local government offices to see if they are aware of any fix-it or repair intiatives in your area. 

If you're interested in starting a repair cafe, I recommend getting ahold of the starter kit from the International Repair Foundation and registering on their map (joining the network of 1200+ repair cafes across 30+ countries!). Then set about getting volunteer fixers, a venue to hold the first session, get a start date and event to launch, and then various avenues to promote it. Lessons learned include: 

• Stand on the shoulders of those who've travelled the road already - the international repair foundation and the many repair cafes up and running already. Toronto and Pasadena are good ones to check out.
• Start in the new year when folk are looking at making resolutions to get involved or share their skills and time. Or look at launching when there's momentum created around sustainability or reducing waste following an event or program (in Australia, the ABC's "War On Waste" program has been inspiring!).
• Start with what you have - if you have a couple of people who can sew or do bike repairs, start there. You can grow your group of fixers from there, drawing on your local community through Facebook and other avenues.
• Don't limit your communications to Facebook. Use other avenues to reach out to potential helpers and fixers, and to the wider community. Look at promoting your initial information session and your launch through additional online or social media, your local radio or newspaper, your local council or community centre, or a local tech or university institution or school.
• Gather a few others at the start who will help you make it happen so you're not a lone traveller, Talk to your local council or state government - we all share an interest in reducing what goes into landfill.
• Just do it. Don't get paralysed by the what-abouts and but-ifs. 

Okay - let's address one common what-about: What about insurance? After questions around how to get fixers along, this seems to be the next most common question asked when people are looking to set up a repair cafe. The following points are worth noting (mindful that this is not intended to constitute legal advice and you'll need to satisfy yourselves about what measures you adopt to address safety, risk and liability):

• It is generally a good idea to have some form of insurance, and the International Repair Foundation recommends that repair cafes have public liability insurance (which can come from the host organisation or venue).
• You can supplement this by addressing safety and having waivers through, eg, safety briefings and House Rules. (See the templates and information set out in the Restart Project kit and the Mending Workshop manual, as well as those provided if you sign up for the starter kit from the International Repair Foundation.)
• Additional insurance might be accessed or purchased, eg through an auspicing or auxiliary organisation (like a Mens Shed Association). You might also find that there is some legislative protection for volunteers attached to community organisations or incorporated associations.
• Interestingly, most repair cafes around the world don't have insurance. The last (2016) international survey of repair cafes found that only 39% of them had public liability insurance, suggesting that "this may partly explain why it is seen by most as not being a barrier to success."

If you want to find out more about starting up a repair cafe in your community, check out:

• the International Repair Cafe Foundation
• repair cafe global surveys and related reports at the Centre for Sustainability & Design
• Mending Workshop Guide, written by Oberon Carter (Permaculture Tasmania & Zero Waste Tasmania) 
• starter kit from the Restart Project

[This text also appears in the FAQ section of this website and has been reproduced here to assist those with mobile devices who may not be able to view the FAQ drop down boxes.]