SHIPSTON now has its own repair cafe.
It opened its doors at the Community Hub on the Ellen Badger Hospital site on Saturday April 11.
Volunteers were on hand to help with a wide range of repairs, including bikes, small electrical items, mechanical fixes, woodwork and general household repairs. Refreshments and cakes were available to purchase, with donations welcomed to support the project.
The launch exceeded expectations, with more visitors than anticipated and most items successfully repaired or given expert advice. The very first repair of the day was a young girl’s bike.
One particularly moving moment came when a woman brought in an old dictaphone, hoping to hear her late husband’s voice, recorded decades ago when their daughter was 12. Although the dictaphone could not be repaired, a volunteer successfully removed the stuck micro-tape, which will now be taken to a specialist to be digitised.
Another important repair involved a Moses basket from the Bluebell Birthing Centre at Warwick Hospital. Catherine, a local midwife who runs the monthly Saturday breastfeeding group in the Toy Library, brought the basket along. It has now been restored and returned to use.
Kirsty Holder, chief executive of SHWP (Stour Health and Wellbeing Partnership), said: “It’s been wonderful to see the repair cafe launch so successfully in Shipston. Projects like this strengthen communities, reduce waste and encourage people to share skills locally.”
The next Shipston repair cafe will take place on May 9.
