06/07/2026
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A Repair Cafe in Inglewood is officially open.
The volunteer-run initiative launched on Saturday 27 June at Inglewood Bowling and Sports Club, with a turnout that confirmed the appetite for it.
City of Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin officially launched the cafe. Frank Paolino MLA, Dan Bull MLA and Alanna Clohesy MLC were among the first to bring items in for repair.
Volunteers got to work straight away, fixing clothes, ornaments, chairs and vacuum cleaners. Each repair came with the volunteer showing the owner how it was done, with the hope that the skill and interest in repairs stays with them.
Co-founder Anneliese McNeil said it’s about a lot more than what got fixed.
“It was so lovely to see the community come together like that,” she said. “There were some really touching moments of connection. People working side by side over a broken chair or a torn jacket, swapping stories while they worked. We couldn’t have done it without the learning and support from other repair cafes, and our wonderful team of volunteers.”
Most repair cafes collect data on repairs, which is just as important as the repairs themselves. Details can be fed back to manufacturers, identifying what breaks, why and how often. It also gives communities better information to make smarter purchasing choices in the first place.
Cost-of-living pressure is part of why people come. Co-founder Simmone Sache said the cafe is also a small act of defiance against consumerism.
Read full story at https://tinyurl.com/jmsrsct4.
