The Repair Cafe movement is totally run by volunteers and surprisingly enough we can never have enough as the more volunteers we have the more we can help. In fact the Spencers Wood Repair Cafe has moved location to ensure that we have enough space for the volunteers and visitors to work safely.
Front of Desk
Repair Cafes need front of desk registration staff to welcome visitors, register the items and allocate the items to an appropriate fixer that has the skills to fix the item. There is also a fair amount of queue management and ensuring items are equally distributed between the fixers. Preferably a minimum of two front of desk volunteers are required.
Cafe
Volunteers are also required to run the cafe, ensure the fixers get refreshments during the session as they are often busy and can’t leave the workstation. Running the cafe also requires making drinks, serving cakes and biscuits, collecting and washing up crockery. Its also important that the cafe is a welcoming space for our visitors. Again a minimum of two volunteers are needed to to run the cafe effectively.
Fixers and Repairers
We are always looking for fixers that have the skills to fix items and a passion to help people. The range of skills of the fixers can reflect the services that a Repair Cafe can offer. Skills such as electronic, mechanical, phones, computers, carpentry, sewing, jewellery, furniture, tool sharpening, fixing bikes are invaluable to us. We are also happy to take on apprentices that would like to learn these skills. The apprentices would work alongside a skilled fixer. A minimum of 6 fixers would be required initially and more as the Repair Cafe gets established in the community.
Management
Repair Cafes also need volunteers to manage the Repair Cafe on the day advertise the events, liase with community groups and schools, manage the website, money and general public enquires. A minimum of 3 volunteers are needed but these volunteers can be from the general groups of volunteers.
Would you like to join us?
We believe that volunteers should never be out of pocket and the volunteer experience should be an enjoyable experience. So if you can spare a Sunday morning a month and would be interested in helping us please contact me at billie@spencerswoodrepaircafe.co.uk.