News
22 October, 2026
Repair Café comes to the Southern Highlands
Need something repaired? Skilled local volunteers will be on hand at the Berrima Schoolyard Markets this Sunday (October 25) to fix things free of charge.
Need something repaired?
Skilled local volunteers will be on hand at the Berrima Schoolyard Markets this Sunday (October 25) to fix things free of charge.
Repair Café started in Amsterdam in 2009 and is now a global movement, with more than 4,000 cafés worldwide helping to breathe new life into much-loved items.
Now it’s the Southern Highlands’ turn.
As part of the initiative, skilled volunteers will sit down, work out what’s wrong with a particular item and fix it side by side with the owner.
"We fix things with you, not for you," Chair of Repair Café Southern Highlands, Miles Lochhead, said this week.
“You'll go home with something that works again - and maybe the confidence to fix the next one yourself."
It’s anything but a drop-off service.
To make sure their items can be repaired on the day – and to match their item with the right ‘fixer’ – local residents are asked to register at www.repaircafesh,org
Repair Café Southern Highlands will confirm whether it can be repaired on the day as it will depend on the volunteers available.
Items suitable for repair could include textiles, bicycles, furniture, small mechanical items, phones, computers and ceramics.
For those people who love to tinker, Repair Café is a not-for-profit community group and welcomes new members and volunteers who can support it in any capacity.
After the first café this Sunday from 9am to 12 noon, the group will be returning to the Berrima Schoolyard Markets on Sunday, November 22 and Sunday, December 13 with a Christmas fundraiser: gift wrapping using upcycled fabric and paper.
Funds raised will help cover insurance, equipment and the other simple costs of bringing the café to life.
Donations will also be welcomed.
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