Shipston’s Repair Café to open in spring

A new repair Café is opening in Shipston this spring, led by a partnership of local organisations committed to supporting the community in a sustainable way, including Stour Health and Wellbeing Partnership, Stratford District Council and SWFT.

Shipston Repair Café will be more than just a project – it’s a space that fosters care, connection, and practical solutions. Its goal is to help people keep their goods in use for longer, reducing waste and saving resources. This initiative depends on volunteers like you. We’d love to hear your ideas and involve you in shaping a successful, welcoming café for everyone. Please contact Rowena Webb on rowenacawebb@gmail.com if you are interested.

But what is a Repair Café?

The idea began in the Netherlands in 2007 and there are now over 2,500 Repair Cafés worldwide. They are free meeting places, all about repairing things together, with tools and materials to help you make repairs you need, on clothes, furniture, electrical appliances, bicycles, crockery, appliances, toys, etc. You’ll also find expert volunteers, with repair skills in all kinds of fields. Bring in your broken items from home. Together with the specialists, you can start making your repairs in the Repair Café. If you have nothing to repair, you can lend a hand or enjoy a cup of tea or coffee.

Why a Repair Café?

We throw away vast amounts of stuff, some of it with almost nothing wrong, which could get a new lease of life after a simple repair. We have forgotten that we can repair things. Finding our repair skills can help us move to a sustainable future in which materials can be reused again and again. Using things for longer reduces the volume of raw materials and energy needed to make new products.

A Repair Café gives people with repair skills the appreciation they deserve and the chance to pass on invaluable practical skills to others. You might see your possessions in a new light, and appreciate their value all over again. Repairing things can be fun and easier than you think!