CHAILEY REPAIR CAFE OPENS!!

Here's our press release - an amazing start!!

Chailey Repair Café opened its doors for the first time at Chailey Parish Hall on Saturday 11th August. Founder and Coordinator Bryan McAlley welcomed Ken Jordan, Chair of Chailey Parish Council who presented the Café with a cheque following a successful bid for a small grant. “This morning has exceeded everybody’s expectations” said Bryan “We had 19 volunteers, nearly 40 visitors and attempted 26 repairs (many successfully), including several bicycles, a hedge trimmer, radios, hoovers, an antique evening bag, a necklace and a china cow!”

The Cafe’s first repair was Guy Boyling’s bicycle – presenting him with a bottle of Prosecco to mark the occasion, Bryan joked that not everybody coming to the Café would be quite so well received, but that the cakes on offer were always unbeatable!

Chailey Repair Café is part of a world-wide movement where volunteer experts repair things free of charge. Anyone can bring along broken items or clothing needing repair from home, and have a cuppa and a cake while they wait. The Repair Café concept began in the Netherlands in 2009 when Martine Postma, at the time an Amsterdam-based journalist/publicist, started the Repair Café Foundation which provides support to local groups around the world wishing to start their own Repair Café, including Chailey Repair Café, which is affiliated to the Foundation.


Chailey Repair Café is next open at Chailey Parish Hall 10am – 1pm on 1 September, 13 October and 15 December and at 2-5pm on 24 November.

Volunteers welcome !! Can you offer electrical, bicycle, furniture or any handiwork or craft repair skills? If you would like to help or find out more email Bryan McAlley at brymac@btinternet.com Find Chailey Repair Café on Facebook.