Millicent’s Repair Café has attracted limited engagement from the public and is likely to discontinue past its six month trial period unless interest in the initiative improves.
The six month trial, initiated by the Wattle Range Council’s Climate Change Action Working Group, is at its half way point.
Each month, since March 23, the Millicent Men’s Shed has opened its doors between 10-12 for the public to bring in items needing repair.
Members of both the men’s shed and the Millicent Craft Group have been available to assist with repairs.
The project aims to keep repairable items out of landfill and help upskill people, giving them the know-how to undertake their own repairs in the future.
Participants are expected to be present during the repair work and available to assist as necessary
It is a free service with the only cost being the purchase of materials if needed.
Millicent Repair Café Action Group chair Sandra Young said repairs had been simple so far.
“The repairs that have been done to date have been such as, sewing on a button, mending handles on kitchen utensils and a garden fork, mending a hole in a jumper and repairing a table,” she said.
“There is scope for many more repairs to be done by the willing and very friendly volunteers at the repair café each session.
“If the trial proves successful, there could be other repair cafés set up in other centres in the Wattle Range Council region.
Ms Young said the repair café could help keep waste out of landfill and “could be tremendous and really make a difference in combating waste in our community”.
“It is up to the community to accept this valuable initiative and use it or it will be lost,” she said.
Electrical items are unable to be repaired but volunteers are on hand to help with mending, woodwork, metalwork and other handiwork skills.
The repair café is open from 10am this Saturday, June 15, at the Millicent Men’s Shed on Fifth Street.
The remaining dates scheduled for the project are July 13 and August 10.
