Ashford Repair Café

Ashford Repair Café

Ashford Repair Café

Fix it, don’t ditch it — repair, reuse, and share skills in our community.

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What is a Repair Café?

A friendly place to fix broken things, learn and share new skills, and meet like-minded people. Make a difference, have fun, and keep useful stuff out of the bin.

The Movement

We’re part of a global network of 3,000+ volunteer Repair Cafés (founded in 2009 in the Netherlands). We work alongside partners like iFixit to promote the Right to Repair.

Upcoming Sessions

Join our next café! Bring along small appliances, electronics, household items, textiles and more. Check dates and details below.

How it Works

All Repair Cafés are volunteer-run. We’ll let you know what’s realistic and safe for us to handle. Here’s a quick summary of how we operate and the kind of things we can typically take on.

How does it work?

  • Drop-off model: Our regular “shop-like” sessions. Items can be dropped off, and we’ll et you know how our repairers get on.
  • Pop-up / DIY model: We run occasional community, pop-up events at locations around Ashford. We’re hoping to expand our volunteer base to be able to do more of these in the future.

What We Can & Can’t Repair

  • Often yes: small electrics (lamps, radios, players, headphones), garden tools, toys, clocks, decorations, textiles, small mechanicals.
  • Usually no: large TVs, washing machines and bulky appliances; some kettles; precious phones/tablets; bicycles.
  • If you can’t carry it in yourself, it’s probably too big for us.

Care Before Repair

  • Printers: run a quick test page weekly to avoid dried-up ink.
  • Hard water: descale irons, kettles, coffee machines, shower heads regularly (vinegar or citric acid work well).
  • Vacuum cleaners: remove hair from rollers to keep suction strong.
  • Toasters: unplug, shake out crumbs outdoors; soft brush inside; keep birds happy!
  • Batteries: avoid constant 100% charges; store around 50–60% for long breaks; don’t charge when cold; remove disposables when not in use.

Volunteer with Us

Anyone can be a repairer or helper — curiosity and a willingness to learn are the key ingredients. Build confidence, learn new skills, pass on old ones, and meet great people.

I want to help

Part of a Bigger Picture

We’re connected to Repair Café International and the global Right to Repair movement, working with communities and resources like iFixit to keep products repairable and out of landfill.

Contact

Questions about an item? Want to volunteer? Drop us a line.