The Fixery, Richmond’s new repair cafe, opened its doors in January this year. Tucked away in Grove Gardens Chapel on Lower Grove Road, on the lower slopes of Richmond Hill, it has around 30 volunteer ‘fixers’ who repair a variety of items – from clocks to sewing machines, lamps to broken zips.
The Fixery
It also boasts a cafe, clothes swap, toy bank, refillable cleaning products station – bring your own bottle and buy only as much as you need – and access to Doctor Bike, who pumps up tyres, fixes chains and gives bicycles a health check.
According to Cllr Julia Neden-Watts, chair of Richmond Borough Council’s Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee, the cafe has quickly become a community hub.
“There are council staff involved, but the fixing part of it is local volunteers, amazingly skilful people who’ve just learned how to mend things and want to share their skills, develop those same abilities in others and just make people happy,” she tells me.
Whilst most fixers are retired or semi-retired, there are also younger people getting involved who are “incredibly passionate about climate change and what they see as waste”, Julia explains.
The Fixery
“Money’s tight for a lot of them too. So this isn’t just about climate action, but also about saving money and spending it wisely on things that can be repaired and will last.”
People who want things repaired are encouraged to watch the ‘fixers’ in action, so that they can learn and have a go at fixing something themselves next time. Once an item has been repaired, people are encouraged to donate whatever they can afford, with the proceeds ploughed back into the project.
Colin Messenger, 70, who is involved with the similarly purposed Twickenham Repair Cafe, has been instrumental in helping to find volunteers for The Fixery. He lists a few of the items that people have brought in.
“A 100-year-old cuckoo clock, light sabres, broken china, hems that are coming undone, a wooden spinning wheel…We never know what’s going to come through the door.
The Fixery
“The fixers,” he continues, “are all ‘give it a go’ types; curious people who, when they were six years old, enjoyed taking things apart and putting them back together.”
I cycle to The Fixery on what must be the hottest afternoon of the year and find three fixers waiting to get to grips with broken items. As I stand in front of a fan, struggling to cool down, a couple walks in carrying twin lamps which the fixers enthusiastically look over.
I can’t help but regret all the broken things I’ve too quickly discarded over the years – kettles and DVD players, toasters and lamps. I eye up the clothes-swapping racks (such a great idea), and I also find myself wishing that I’d thought to bring an old washing-up bottle to fill with one of the eco products on sale.
The Fixery
On a typical weekend, The Fixery gets around 40-50 visitors making use of the repair cafe, and whilst it’s currently open only on Fridays and Saturdays from 11am to 4pm, it may well soon be operating on Thursdays and Sundays too.
“Every community needs something like this,” says Julia. “Places where repairing and reusing and sustaining the life of things is normal, and which are accessible to everyone.
“I think a lot of people who use The Fixery are glad of this very practical way of tackling climate change locally while saving money as well.”
Insta: @the.fixery; or to volunteer, please email: thefixery@richmond.gov.uk.
Repair hubs near you
Oxshott Repair Café: Meets every third Sat of the month from 10-12:30 (except August and December) at St Andrew’s Church Hall. Fixes items like bikes, small appliances, and clothing.
Walton-on-Thames Repair Café: Meets on the 2nd Sat of each month from 10am- 1pm at the Walton Centre for Community. Appointments are generally preferred, so get in touch beforehand.
Claygate Hub Repair Café: Meets every other month on select Sundays at Claygate Youth and Community Hub, Elm Road, Claygate, KT10 0EH. Fixes bikes and fabrics (e.g.replacing zips, hemming).
