THE MANNINGTREE Repair Cafe has marked its one-year anniversary celebrating an impressive 67 per cent repair rate and bringing the community together.

The cafe opened in November 2023, and was launched by RentMy, being supported by its venue The Red Lion in Manningtree.

Once a month, a team of a maximum of fifteen volunteers including skilled repairers give their time to members of the pubic who come in with leather work, sewing, electrics, computer repairs, and jewellery repairs.

In January, the Standard saw Philip Clevberger, of Manningtree have his faulty keyboard fixed by volunteer, as well as property maintenance and handyman Mark Renault who used “pure vodka” to sort the keyboard’s unclean electronic inside.

In general, each member of the public is given a repair monitor form, as some repairers may need to take the item home to spend more time on it.

In its first year, the cafe has repaired 130 items out of a total of 195 brought in by local people - an impressive 67 per cent repair rate.

These items ranged from household appliances and furniture to clothing and electronics, all given a second chance at life thanks to the expertise and enthusiasm of the volunteer repairers.

£500 has also been raised by Mark Renault, for the Essex Air Ambulance through donations from the repair sessions.

Organiser Stef Bloomfield, 32, from RentMy said: “Over the past year, we’ve been amazed by the generosity and enthusiasm of our volunteers, as well as the overwhelming support from the local community.

“The Repair Cafe has become much more than just a place for repairs; it’s a hub for sharing skills, reducing waste, and helping those in need. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far and look forward to continuing to build on this success.”

The Manningtree Repair Cafe is open to all, and its organisers encourage anyone with broken items in need of fixing to bring them along.

Visitors are also invited to stay for a coffee, chat, and the opportunity to learn more about sustainable living and simple repair techniques.

For the next year, the Manningtree Repair Cafe plans to expand its offerings and grow its network of volunteers and supporters.

See the full article here.