Repair Cafe events

By attending the Repair Café, you agree to these house rules.

• When registering at arrival we will do our best to match you to the appropriate repairer.
• There may be wait times when attending the Repair Café event. We encourage attendees to help themselves to light refreshments and chat to other attendees whilst they wait.
• The works carried out in the Repair Café is performed by community volunteers. Repair experts and other volunteers are not professional repairers and will conduct a repair to the best of their ability, within the time and resources available at the Repair Café event. We do not make any representations as to the skills or qualifications of the expert repairers.
• Items may be repaired in a ‘DIY’ fashion. Please note the aim of the Repair Café is to help an item be functional for longer, not restored to original condition. If the item is requiring a perfect fix or perfect finish, we recommend seeking a professional repairer and paying for their service.
• Attendees offering items for repair do so at their own risk. Neither the organisers of the Repair Café, volunteers, or repair experts are liable for any loss that may result from advice or instructions concerning repairs, for the loss of items handed over for repair, for indirect or consequential loss or for any other kind of loss resulting from work performed in the Repair Café.
• Repairers will test the items where appropriate, but the organiser, volunteers and repair experts making repairs offer no guarantee for the repairs carried out with their help and are not liable if objects that are repaired in the Repair Café turn out not to work properly at home.
• Repairs are performed for free wherever possible. The Repair Café event does not provide free parts for all items. If a specialist part is required, attendees may be given the option to purchase the part elsewhere and come back to another repair café event to attempt repair. The attendee can choose not to purchase a part for their item.
• If an attendee purchases a part for their item based on advice from the Repair Café event, the attendee is choosing to purchase the part with no guarantee the item can be repaired. The organiser is not liable for the cost of the part.
• Attendees can carry out the repairs themselves, if possible, with volunteers and repair experts on site to help. Attendees conducting repairs themselves do so at their own risk, the organisation, repair experts and volunteers are not liable for any loss resulting from the work performed by the attendees.
• Repair experts and volunteers are entitled to refuse to repair items.
• Repair experts and volunteers are entitled to recommend seeking a professional repairer or restoration service.
• Repair experts and volunteers are not obliged to reassemble items that cannot be repaired.
• To cut down on unnecessary waiting times during busy periods, a maximum of one broken item per person will be examined. An attendee can join the back of the queue if there is a second item for repair.
• Parents and guardians are responsible for the supervision, behaviour, and safety of their children while at the Repair Café site. Children may not be left unattended.
• Repairers, volunteers, and attendees have a right to feel welcome and safe. Antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated. If someone is making you feel unwelcome or unsafe, please let a member of staff know.

We will try our best to make all repairs free. Our volunteers generously donate their time and expertise to help the community fix their items and promote a culture of repair.

If your repair requires parts and/or materials our repairers can offer advice and you can register to bring the item along to a future event when you have the things you need. It is your choice to purchase any parts to attempt to repair the item.

Lucy from Let Me Be Frank will also be on hand if you want to discuss your repair ahead of the event, to see if you can purchase materials or parts before you speak with a repairer.

Please read through the House rules before attending events.

Absolutely! Everyone is welcome. Even if you don’t have something to repair, you’re invited to come along for a chat and to see some repairs in action.

You can bring a wide range of items for repair, including toys, clothing, books, small appliances, jewellery, knick knacks, and furniture. Please register your item prior to attending on the event registration webpage.

Please note that we might not be able to fix very complex or large items due to time constraints and costs, but we will do our best to offer advice and support.

Please note, this is not a professional service. This is a place for our community members to come together, to lend a hand and share their skills. The repairs available at each event may depend on volunteer availability. 

Our repairers will do their best to repair as many items as possible. However, if an item is beyond repair or requires specialised tools or parts unavailable at the event, we will try to provide guidance on where you can get further assistance.

We will also offer advice on how to safely and responsibly dispose of, or recycle, any items that can’t be fixed.

Absolutely! We welcome passionate individuals who want to contribute to the Repair Cafe events. If you have repair skills or simply want to help with organising and logistics, please get in touch with Lucy Best at Let Me Be Frank lucy@letmebefrank.com.au or contact us through the Expression of Interest form. 

Glen Eira City Council and Let Me Be Frank are coordinating events focused on repairing items, sharing skills and connecting our repair community. 

Skilled repairers or volunteers with knowledge and skills will be on hand to help attendees with their repair needs. Visitors bring in their broken or damaged items and we will do our best to repair them or offer advice on next steps.