Repair café gets a helping hand from town charity

The £500 cheque has allowed the group to buy its own Portable Appliance Tester, a vital tool to check any electrical repairs before items leave the café.

Repair cafe organiser David Brown said: “We have had to borrow testers from other repair cafés but now we have our own. We were very pleased to be able to show our appreciation to the League of Friends by using our new appliance to test all the electrical items used at the League of Friends shop.”

The cheque also paid for a special set of screwdrivers while donations from repair cafe customers provided funding to purchase an iron and ironing-board for the seamstresses, extension leads and cable covers, aprons and numerous small items for the “spares” box.

Ellesmere Repair Café has been going from strength to strength since it held its first monthly session in April. More than 130 items, including kettles, jeans, ornaments and bikes, have been successfully repaired in that time.

The café has attracted a talented team of fixers who bring a variety of skills and experience to the repair tasks plus other hard-working volunteers who sort out the admin and serve refreshments.

Organiser and town mayor, Councillor Anne Wignall, said: “We are so grateful for the support of the community which has allowed us to provide a free repair service and café each month. It's worth knowing that people are welcome to come along and have a cup of tea and a piece of homemade cake without bringing an item for fixing. We welcome anyone who would like to join us for a chat and enjoy the afternoon in a friendly environment.”

The Repair Café takes place at Ellesmere Town Hall on the first Saturday of each month between 1pm and 4pm. Repairs and refreshments are free of charge – donations are always welcome. The next Repair Café is on August 5.