LISKEARD is set to have South East Cornwall’s very first Repair Café as a local couple take up a global movement on reducing waste and reviving skills.

Broken toasters, crooked bike wheels and jumpers full of holes are all things that end up at the dump because people lack the time or know-how to fix them, say Robin and Karen Partington.

But with the right skills, household items, toys and machinery can be simple and satisfying to repair – and doing so can save money, as well as helping the planet.

The Partingtons, who run the Chequered Flag café on the A38 just outside Liskeard, will be hosting their very first Repair Café next month.

‘We throw away piles of stuff in Britain – even things which have practically nothing wrong with them, and which could easily be used again after a simple repair,’ said Robin, who is a maintenance engineer at the Eden Project.

‘Many people have forgotten that they can have things repaired – Repair Café wants to change all that – and also show how much fun fixing things can be.’

The Repair Café concept began in the Netherlands in 2010, and has grown in popularity all over the world; there are currently more than 1200 such cafes in the UK.

The initiative has the added benefit of helping  to combat loneliness by bringing people together, explains Karen.

‘There are many older people out there who feel isolated, but have a lot of practical knowledge to share,’ she said.

‘We’re hoping that the people who come along with the skills will create a community with the people learning – we suspect it might be older people that will pass their knowledge on to the younger people.’

At the Chequered Flag repair café, different ‘stations’ will be set up with tools and materials and an expert on hand to guide and give advice.

The café is free to attend and all people need to do is turn up with their broken items.

Karen says that volunteers with skills in carpentry, sewing and knitting, and those with general ‘handyman’ knowledge are needed to help man the stations.

 ‘We’ll also have internet connectivity so we can work out how to fix things together,’ she added.

The Repair Café will start on Wednesday October 18 from 3 – 9pm at the Chequered Flag, and will then be held on the middle Wednesday of each month.

 To find out more or to get involved call 01579 344434 or look for the Chequered Flag Facebook page.