The South Surrey White Rock Repair Cafe held fixing workshops in April and September of this year. We kept our April event very small because of Covid concerns so although turnout was disappointing, everyone agreed that it was a good opportunity to get back into the swing of things after a two-year hiatus. One of our fixers demonstrated how to remove and sharpen a lawnmower blade. It was watched with a great deal of interest because the fixer clearly described every step. I learned how to tip a lawnmower without spilling gas! A young lad from the neighborhood attended in April and shadowed and assisted one of the fixers. It was delightful to have a youngster on the team and it is our intention to encourage more youth involvement, either as fixers or administrative support.
On September 25, we held a very successful event. We had 35 guests and 17 volunteers in attendance so the atmosphere was lively. The fixers dealt with 43 items, 26 of which were repaired. Some items were only partly fixed and/or returned to the guest with instructions on how to complete the repair themselves. One fifth of the items were deemed irreparable. Many people arrive with faint hope that a treasured item can be repaired and they are the most grateful customers we have. One of our guests has attended every repair cafe we have held, going back to 2019. It’s a pleasure to see her every time because it signals to me that the service we are providing is valued by the community. A photo album of this event can be viewed at https://imgur.com/a/tAlZH8O .
We are planning for our upcoming event which will take place on November 6, 2022. We have 4 events booked for 2023 and we anticipate all of these events to be well attended because we are re-establishing our project and our brand in the community after the lengthy pandemic break.
Our group relies on the volunteers who are generous with their time and skills. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial contributions from The Association of Neighbourhood Houses, The SSWR Green Party and Alex House in Crescent Beach. Alex House has again and again given us free space to hold our repair sessions without which this would probably never have got off the ground. We offer heartfelt thanks to you all.
