"Don't throw it away" - I visited the Repair Café in Portsmouth and discovered a warm community hub giving broken items a second life
Dusting off an old record player that had been in storage for a few years I was dismayed, but not overly surprised, to find it was not working.
Oh well, in today’s society the new shiny replacement is only a click away and could be on my doorstep in 24 hours. However, when perusing the latest models I could not help but think that there must be a better way, both for my wallet and the environment.
Having wandered through Cascades Shopping Centre on numerous occasions, I have clocked The Repair Café and thought I should give it a try. Here was my opportunity.
Started by a group of volunteers in 2018 as a monthly pop-up, it has grown and expanded into a charity called Share Portsmouth which runs the unit in Cascades - as well as pop-up shops around the city. The service is still volunteer led with people giving up their time to help give broken items a second (or third) life and reduce waste.
After requesting an appointment online I found myself sitting in front of Clive Good, a volunteer and trustee of the charity, at a pop-up at Cosham Community Centre.
One of the great things about the service is you get to learn what is wrong with the item, how to fix it, and are encouraged to help with the repair where possible. Despite my terrible practical skills I can confirm that I am excellent at holding things in place.
As Clive, a former school finance governor, assessed the record player, I looked around and was struck by the warm and friendly community feel of the Repair Café. A child rang a bell alongside his mother to celebrate their item being fixed while tea and cake was handed out to those attending ( I can recommend the coffee cake).
While a passion for fixing things first got Clive involved in the charity, it is the community that has kept him coming back since he started two years ago.
He said: “I love it, there is a great community feel. The whole concept is, don’t throw it away, everything has a second life. The statistics show we repair more than we can’t repair.
“It is great, especially if someone brings in something that is of sentimental value. I helped a lady a little while ago who came in with a toy horse that's head and legs used to move together but the head had broken off. Now, we are not the Repair Shop on the BBC, but to see her face after we were able to put it back in one piece was brilliant.”
Having diligently worked on my record player (not forgetting my helpful holding) it was discovered a new part was needed to get it going again. While I was not able to get a fix there and then, it was great to meet Clive and the other volunteers giving up their time to help people. I will be coming back again, with my record player and new part in hand.
In today’s economic climate, services such as these are vital in helping people re-use items rather than having to face unnecessary expenditure. After the appointment which includes a cup of tea, coffee and a selection of cakes, attendees are asked to provide a donation to help keep the service running.
It is not only the Repair Café that the charity runs, with the Portsmouth Library of Things also based in Cascades. The Library of Things allows people to borrow items that they infrequently use, from tools and cooking implements to banjos and carpet washers, there is a vast and eclectic mix of items available.
More details on the Repair Café and Portsmouth Library of Things, including how to book a repair, can be found on the Share Portsmouth website: https://shareportsmouth.org.uk/
Watch my visit to the Repair Cafe Portsmouth pop-up in the video embedded in this article.