Share & Repair
About
Introduction
Our Story
Share and Repair is a small, but fast-growing charity in Bath and North East Somerset. Our aim is to help local people and communities reduce carbon, waste and landfill to improve the environment we live in and save money. In doing so we reduce pollution and increase the eco-environment to a more sustainable life.
- 2017 First Repair Café opens in St Luke’s Church, Bear Flat
- 2018 Larkhall, Weston and Southdown cafes are in full swing
- 2019 Keynsham, Peasedown St John and High Littleton join the ever growing list of cafes with the first Library of Things opening at the Weston Hub
- 2020 We register as a charity and move our activity to a pop up shop on Broad Street just before COVID strikes!
- 2020 First HOW TO Workshops launched with HOW TO use hand and power tools quickly followed by Bike Maintenance, Use a Sewing Machine and more…
- 2021 We’re on the move again! This time to a bigger shop on George Street. The Library of Things grows to over 700 items!
- 2021 Launch of HomeKIT and school’s project HOW TO Reduce your carbon footprint
- 2022 We get sponsorship for the Flying Satsuma, our electric cargo bike and we start to offer a Library of Things delivery service!
- 2022 We grow to over 2000 Library of Things members and open Repair Cafes in Saltford, Corsham and Bradford on Avon
- 2023 We grow the schools project and reach over 300 11 year olds
- 2023 We extend our shop opening hours and open on Tuesday morning and our amazing Volunteers are award the Kings Award for Voluntary Service
We create opportunities to reduce, repair, reuse and learn. We do this through:
Repair Sessions and Cafes that offer affordable mending
sharing resources through a Library of Things;
HOW TO workshops and Schools’ Workshops
HomeKIT, a programme that provides low income families with small electrical items for their new home.
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Our Mission
We are a catalyst for change through practical action and education
To deliver this we run 5 projects using 3 full-time equivalent staff and over 250 volunteers.
Repair Cafes
We opened our first Repair Café at Bear Flat, Bath in 2017. We now have 10 Repair Cafes providing affordable accessible repairs in the wider community run by local people. On a Saturday morning somewhere in Bath & NES and beyond, you will find a community space occupied by volunteer repairers, administrators, organisers and others with people bringing their household items to be repaired on a ‘give what you can basis’. People watch and learn to empower and inspire future repairing.
Repair Sessions
These happen upstairs in our high street shop on George Street, Bath whenever the shop is open and also run on ‘give what you can’ basis.
Library of Things
Our high street shop is home to over 700 things which people borrow for a small fee for about a week and return just as you would a library book. Around 95% of these items are donated. Categories include DIY, gardening, home, parties and outdoor and adventure. We also encourage ‘try before you buy’ in an effort to save money, reduce consumption and save space. Membership to the Library of Things helps keep Share and Repair running. The money is used to replenish our necessary supplies and keep the items in the Library fit for sharing.
HOW TO Workshops
Sign up for a workshop and learn a new skill. Our workshops are run by experienced and skilled people, often volunteers, and include HOW TO use power tools, HOW TO maintain your bike, HOW TO use your sewing machine and are added to regularly. Keep an eye on our socials for more.
Schools’ Workshops – HOW TO Reduce Waste
We understand that educating children means they will educate their children. Last year we began to successfully deliver a programme of Workshops to year 6 (10/11 year olds). This important work is mainly funded by grants from individuals, trusts and foundations. If you think you can help us deliver this vital work, please get in touch with us at hello@shareandrepair.org.uk
HomeKIT
HomeKIT’s purpose is to repair and distribute small electrical items like kettles, irons, toasters, heaters, lamps and radios to low income households. We collect the items, repair and PAT test and distribute through our network of partner charities. We have donated over 270 items so far and counting! If you have an item you might like to donate to our HomeKIT project please get in touch hello@shareandrepair.org.uk
