Bookings are now open for the final Radwinter Repair Café of 2024, run by the Radwinter Recreation Ground Charity.

The café will be held from 11am to 2pm on Saturday, October 5, at the pavilion on the corner of the recreation ground.

Described as a "last-chance saloon" for broken appliances before they move to their final resting place in landfill, the café welcomes all ailing items for 30-minute appointments.

Volunteer fixers are on hand to repair itemsVolunteer fixers are on hand to repair items (Image: Radwinter Repair Café) The repair café movement seeks to enable people to fix their own items, so the team of fixers will show people how to identify the fault and how it can be fixed if it breaks again.

Among the range of volunteer specialists are fixers for general electrical repairs, sewing, carpentry, knife sharpening, jewellery cleaning and repairs, and ceramic repairs.

Also, new for this week's event there will be a qualified person who can repair and adjust NHS hearing aids.

The café is a clinic, not a hospital, so if an item needs more attention than the allotted appointment time the fixers will direct the owner to professional repairers or help them source a replacement part so it can be fixed another time.

Organiser Julie Haines said: "This Repair Café will be the last in 2024 and completes our third year of rescuing appliances from landfill.

Items can be fixed by volunteer fixers in 30-minute appointment slotsItems can be fixed by volunteer fixers in 30-minute appointment slots (Image: Radwinter Repair Café) "Over the three years that we have been running 75 per cent of the items bought to us have been rescued”

"It’s not all success. Sometimes we must admit defeat, but we do so in the knowledge that we have given it a go."

Someone who took a timer to the last repair café gave this feedback afterwards: "I received a lot of friendly useful advice on repairing equipment at home and was very pleased to be there.

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"Thanks to them I can fix something at home. And most importantly, I threw away the timer with a clear conscience, because it couldn't have been fixed."

Refreshments will be served throughout the session by Radwinter WI.

Repair slots are strictly by appointment only. To book an item in, or to join the team of volunteer fixers, email radwinterrepaircafe@gmail.com.