WHAT TO EXPECT
PLEASE READ BEFORE ATTENDING:
We open on the first Saturday of every month, from 10:30-13:00 in the Small Hall of the Christian Centre (go straight through 3 sets of double doors and turn left). Our Repair Café is completely free of charge, although an optional donation (cash or card) is much appreciated to cover the cost of hall hire, public liability insurance, PAT testing equipment and tea/coffee, plus the occasional sweet treat to keep our volunteers happy! We do not receive any local or central Government funding.
The Repair Café is a worldwide organisation of skilled volunteers, working together to reduce waste that began in The Netherlands in 2009. Our Dorking Branch was set up in 2018 and began as a team of sewers, but before long grew to not only have sewers but a whole range of volunteers with different skills.
We will assess and try to repair any item that you bring in, but we do ask for textiles to be freshly laundered, and other items brought to be clean, e.g. tipping crumbs out of toasters and emptying hoovers. Please do not bring any items containing fuel, such as chainsaws. We do not stock spare parts, but we can advise you on the parts needed so that you can buy them and bring them back the next month for us to fit. Please note we are not antique restoration experts, as seen on The Repair Shop programme.
When you come into the Repair Café, you will be offered a seat, and given an item form (which helps us keep track of the things that come in). We will get to your item as soon as possible, but depending on the month, there may be a wait due to the volume of items coming in. The Christian Centre Café offers coffee, tea and snacks that you can purchase while you wait if you wish. When a volunteer becomes free, you will be taken to them with your item, and they will assess and attempt to repair it.
Sharp tools and dangerous equipment are present and sometimes used in repairs. You must exercise control over, and be responsible for, the behaviour of children in your care whilst attending the Dorking Repair Cafe.
Thank you for reading. We look forward to seeing you and your broken stuff soon!