JOIN OR ORGANIZE A REPAIR CAFE
A repair cafe is a free community event where people come together to fix broken items with the help of volunteer experts.
People bring everyday things like small household appliances, clothing and textiles, bicycles, and even simple pieces of furniture, and then work alongside the volunteers to bring them back to life.
And if you don’t have anything to repair, you’re still welcome to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, or lend a hand to someone else. It’s fascinating to see what’s inside everyday devices like a kettle. And there’s nothing quite like the feeling when something you thought was beyond saving suddenly works again. Now that’s empowerment.
Repair cafes are excellent Eco Club projects for rural communities.
Local specialists can easily get involved, since there are many areas of repair – such as textiles, bikes, or small electronics. Local skills make each repair café unique, help build new connections, and extend the lifespan of everyday items. ♥
In Germany, for example, there is a monthly rural repair cafe where a man sharpens knives and scissors. Why? Because while cleaning out an attic he discovered an old sharpening machine with all kinds of attachments.
WeRepair Documentary
If you’re curious about the repair world, we recommend the short documentary WeRepair. We at Saliko Studio created this piece to highlight how European makers set up Repair Cafes in rural areas.
You will meet our Spanish team, Delia and Micka from Fab Lab Cuenca, and our Portuguese minds Sara and Carlos from Buinho. Our three organisations worked together for the first time on this documentary!! So yes, it’s special to us.
Plus, you’ll be surprised at the various positive effects these makers achieve with their Repair Cafes.
COMMUNITY-LED REPAIR
Through our WeRepair sessions, people of all ages come together to fix broken electronics, tools, toys, and more, learning and collaborating in the process. These gatherings promote sustainability, circular economy and hands-on learning, while helping to reduce waste and build stronger local connections.
The rise of community repair is growing internationally and we’re proud to be part of it. By joining the Open Repair Alliance, we contribute to a global network that shares open repair data to amplify impact worldwide.
Together, we can better understand repair needs, promote right-to-repair policies, and inspire more communities to act.
Join the Open Repair Alliance
QUICK STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR ORGANIZING YOUR OWN REPAIR EVENT
1) If you have a question: Always check out www.repaircafe.org first.
2) Gather volunteers
3) Find a suitable location
4) Collect tools & equipment
5) Promote your events
6) Host the repair cafe or repair workshop.
7) Encourage a repair mindset
8) Have fun 🙂
