Repair Café is a movement, that started in 2009 in Amsterdam. Since then it has spread worldwide, currently, there are around 2,400 Repair Cafés, including 10 in South Australia.

They are recurring community gatherings, entirely run by volunteers, where you can bring your broken items for fixing and learn how to fix them yourself – with the help of skilled volunteer repairers for free.

Repair Cafés aim to reduce waste in landfills, pass on valuable repairing knowledge, and create a sense of community.

All Repair Cafés have the same basic house rules:

• The work carried out in the Repair Café is always free of charge
• Donations are greatly appreciated
• ONE broken item per person at a time (if a person has another item, they can go back in the queue for their second item)
• Repair Café is not a drop-off service, visitors are expected to remain with the repairer the whole time their item is being looked at and repaired
• Visitors are responsible for the removal of broken items that cannot be repaired
• Skilled volunteers are not obligated to reassemble disassembled items that cannot be repaired
• The organisers of Repair Café and the volunteers are not liable for the loss/damage that might occur because of their advice or instructions concerning the repairs

The number of Repair Cafés in South Australia is growing and today you can find them in the metropolitan area as well as outside Adelaide.

The types of items you can bring for repairing depend on the skilled volunteers attending the event and are usually advertised on the Repair Café Facebook pages.

Most usual items that can be repaired:

• Small electrical appliances
• Electronic items
• Wooden items, including small furniture (e.g. chair)
• Textiles (machine and hand sewing, felting)
• Gardening tools and knives sharpening

Find a Repair Café near you

Aberfoyle Repair Café
1 – 4 pm, second Saturday of every month
Aberfoyle Community Centre, Jessica St, Aberfoyle Park
Check their Facebook for details

Payneham Repair café
9:30 am – 12 pm, third Saturday of the month (in conjunction with the One Planet Market)
Payneham Community Centre, 374 Payneham Road, Payneham
Check their Facebook for details

Repair Café Campbelltown
9.30 am – 2 pm, second Sunday of the month (except May & December)
Campbelltown Memorial Oval, corner Darley Rd/Lower Nth East Rd, Campbelltown
(in conjunction with the Magill Sunrise Market)
Check their Facebook for details 

Marino Repair Cafe
1 – 4 pm, limited Sundays
Marino Community Hall, 44 Newland Ave, Marino
Check their Facebook for details

Unley Repair Café
9:30 am – 12:30 pm, last Saturday of the month
Clarence Park Community Centre, 72 – 74 East Ave, Black Forest
Check their Facebook for details

Adelaide Repair Café
1 – 4 pm, last Sunday of the month
Makerspace Adelaide, 223 Angas St, Adelaide, 5000 (previously based at The Joinery)
Check their Facebook for details

City of Tea Tree Gully Repair Café
10 am – 1 pm, the second Saturday of the month
Community Learning Centre, 571 Montague Road Modbury
Check their Facebook for details 

Gawler Environment Centre Repair Café
9.30 am – 12.30 pm, third Saturday of every second month
Evanston Gardens Community Centre, 63-65 Angle Vale Rd, Evanston Gardens
Check their Facebook for details

The Hut Community Centre Repair Café
10 am – 1pm, second Sunday of the month
1 Euston Rd, Aldgate SA 5154
Check their Facebook for details

The Parks Repair Café
1 pm – 3 pm, second Sunday of the month
46 Trafford St, Angle Park SA 5010
Check their Website for details