Sharing and repairing: more fixers welcome

CRESWICK’S upcoming Repair and Share event is pretty much what the name suggests.

Organised by sustainability group Transition Creswick, it’s all about repairing broken items, similar to the successful Repair Cafe concept that’s keeping serious volumes of perfectly fixable stuff out of landfill in many communities already.

To get the ball rolling, a couple of months back Transition Creswick tested the waters by running a Repair Cafe event at Creswick, with a little help from the established Daylesford Repair Cafe.

About 40 people turned up at the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre with things that needed repair - and it all went so well that now Transition Creswick is getting set to hold another similar event.

The upcoming Repair and Share event is set for this Sunday, May 28 and will take place from 1pm to 4pm, once again in the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre.

Transition Creswick facilitator

Tim Drylie, pictured, says everyone is welcome to roll up with items that need fixing – and, in this case, also with goodies to share.

He says the Repair and Share concept will incorporate a share table where locals can share and swap intrinsically valuable things like home-baked cakes, or that excess quince crop that would otherwise go to waste in the backyard, or those eggs the chooks have laid in over-abundance.

Tim says it’s hoped the concept will become a regular monthly fixture, and he also says more people with handy repair skills of all kinds are encouraged to get in contact as their abilities will be very welcome.

This includes things like the ability to provide basic bicycle repairs, mechanical repairs, ceramic repairs and even IT know-how. A volunteer fixer who is a qualified electrician would also be most welcome.

“The Daylesford Repair Cafe has been very successful over several years and has made a big difference in terms of stuff not going to landfill,” he says.

“We ran our first Repair Cafe a couple of months ago in conjunction with the Daylesford Repair Cafe as a bit of an outreach. It was very successful and we had people with all sorts of repair skills including clothes-mending, knife-sharpening, bike repairs, ceramics repairs and small appliance repairs.

“Repair and Share is a slightly different approach but we have a strong affiliation with the Repair Cafe. At the moment we’re putting the structures in place to ensure it’s all done safely and the checks and balances are done. It’s with the broader idea of having a community exchange market down the track, enabling non-monetary trading.”

Tim says it’s also about good conversation and community connectivity.

“There is a natural abundance that we can all bring to our community that helps build resilience. I think a lot of people are experiencing frustration at having appliances break down. Built-in redundancy is an issue, and it might be something as simple as needing a bike tube changed or a sweater darned.

“We’re tapping into expertise that may not otherwise be valued as much in our current economy, and it’s often very satisfying for people who have these sorts of skills to give back in this way.”

Transition Creswick is auspiced by the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre and some of the other projects with which it’s currently involved include the Hepburn EV Bulk Buy scheme and the creation of an indigenous food garden. Details: transitioncreswick@gmail.com

Words & image: Eve Lamb