November's Repair Café: Closing 2024 with Community Spirit

in Publicity, / Photos, / Year-end

Our November repair café, held on the 23rd at the Village Hall, marked our final gathering of 2024. What a great way to close out the year! The atmosphere was festive, with our Toy Swap table adding extra cheer to our usual repair activities. From cherished teddy bears to practical household items, our volunteers were busy breathing new life into beloved possessions.

The repair café bustling with activity A busy scene at our final repair café of 2024, where community spirit was in full swing.

Refreshments ready for our visitors Fueling our repair efforts with tea, coffee, and biscuits - an essential part of any successful repair café!

This month’s repairs showcased the diverse skills of our volunteer repairers:

Furniture and Woodwork

Our woodworking experts were particularly busy this session: Chair getting a new lease of life Careful restoration work on a chair seat.

Restored occasional table An occasional table, ready for more occasions.

Wooden chair repair complete Another successful chair repair, ready to support many more years of use.

Tools and Precision Work

Carpenter's set square after repair A carpenter’s set square restored to precision.

Freshly sharpened chisel A newly sharpened chisel with its protective guard - sharp tools are safe tools!

Electronics and Appliances

Steam iron working again This steam iron is ready to smooth wrinkles once more.

Laptop with new life An older laptop given new purpose with Linux Mint.

Toaster under repair Careful diagnostic work on a toaster.

Textile Repairs

Jacket pocket repair in progress Detailed work on a jacket pocket repair.

Special Repairs and Festive Items

The team working on a Christmas ornament Our repair team collaborating on a festive fix.

Tantalus under examination A curious object, a tantalus, receiving some careful attention.

Teddy Bear Hospital

One of our most heartwarming repairs this month involved a very special patient:

Teddy bear before repairs A well-loved teddy awaiting some TLC.

Teddy bear with new waistcoat The same teddy, now sporting a smart new waistcoat!

Historic teddy from 1947 A very special 1947 teddy taken home for more detailed restoration work.

Looking Back on 2024

Since our launch in February, the Tregony Repair Café has made a significant impact on our community. Throughout the year, we’ve:

  • Hosted 10 successful repair cafés
  • Welcomed over 200 items for repair
  • Achieved a success rate of approximately 80% for repairs attempted
  • Saved numerous items from landfill, from vintage record players to modern electronics
  • Built a strong volunteer base of skilled repairers and support volunteers
  • Created a welcoming community space where skills are shared and stories are exchanged
  • Served countless cups of tea and coffee, sometimes with biscuits and cake!

Notable repairs throughout the year included our heaviest item (a tumble dryer in March), our oldest item (a 1947 teddy bear in November), and countless everyday items that might otherwise have been discarded.

We look forward to reopening our doors February 1st 2025 (1 - 3pm), continuing our mission of reducing waste, sharing skills, and strengthening community bonds. Whether you have something that needs fixing or just want to join us for a cup of tea and a chat, you’ll always find a warm welcome at the Tregony Repair Café.

Mark your calendars: Our first repair café of 2025 will be held on Saturday, February 1st, from 1-3pm at Tregony Village Hall.