Repair Cafés

What is a Repair Café?

Repair Cafes are free pop-up events where local people bring in their broken and damaged belongings and local volunteer experts do their best to repair them.

In 2022 Repair Network Aotearoa was created with the aim to develop and connect, inform, and support the network of people and organisations around New Zealand who organise community repair events . 

The Repair Café Aotearoa NZ website was launched on Matariki, Māori New Year, in 2022. In Te Ao Māori, this date symbolises a time for reflecting on the past, celebrating our present, and looking forward to what is ahead. 

RCANZ developed the Repair Cafe Handbook specifically for Aotearoa NZ. If you are interested in setting up a repair cafe in your community, click HERE. You can also check the Repair Café Aotearoa NZ Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for upcoming events and news.

Find out about the history and ideas behind the 'International Repair Café' movement and information about what's going on around the world. 

Palmerston North Repair Cafe 

Palmerston North Repair Café launched in September 24 2022 with the support of Environment Network Manawatū, PNCC, MENZSHED, SuperGrans Manawatū and other community organisations. The café works in cooperation with local businesses with the overall goal of improving accessibility to and understanding of repair, repurpose and recycling opportunities within the city as a means of reducing waste and engendering local resilience, connection, and cohesion.

Depending on the skills and passions of Repair Café volunteers on the day, items mended and saved from landfill may include clothing, toys, household items, bikes, books, wooden items, jewellery, computers and more. We are always looking for more volunteers with specialist skills to help us repairing. We are grateful to B&M electrical for regularly volunteering their time at our repair cafes, repairing electrical items that would likely be otherwise thrown away.

We welcome you to come and get your things fixed, enjoy some much-needed downtime, activities for kids, connect with others over a hot cuppa, learn a bit about repairs, and embrace the sense of togetherness in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. 

This is a free event and koha is always appreciated. 

Important to note: The Repair Café takes place monthly on a Saturday from 9am- 11:30am. The venue is Palmerston North Community Centre, 569 Ferguson Street, Palmerston North.

For dates, the location and what we are able to repair on the day, please follow us on Facebook

Contact The Repair Cafe co-ordinator, Di Koch with any questions on circ.economy@enm.org.nz

Feilding Repair Cafe

With the support of the Feilding Menzshed, the Manawatu District Council and the Environment Network Manawatu the inaugural café was held on Saturday March 11, 2023. For dates, the location and what they are able to repair on the day, please follow them on Facebook

Levin Repair Cafe 

The Levin Repair Café opened in November 2020, after several months of exploring the idea for starting up this regular local community based event. For dates, the location and what we are able to repair on the day, please follow them on Facebook