a useful place

[Al Fa]

Hi All,

Maybe some of you knows about Repair Cafe where volunteers repair
things and tools for people who cannot afford to pay for that
or
they want to learn how to repair their tools.

They can have a tea or cafe with some biscuits or fruit during waiting
for repairing as well.

It looks like we lost our place during pandemic.

If anyone knows any suitable place we could rent once a month, please,
let me know.

Thanks

al

[Daniel F]

What are their requirements and how often do they meet?

I can see it being nice if they were able to operate from the space maybe one day a month, thiugh I have no idea of the logistics required to make it happen. 

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[Andy51055]

Has it not already happened once or twice? I think the main worry was having non-members wandering round the space unsupervised. Or the insurance. But hopefully a way round can be found as the two should be perfect partners.

[Anzir Boodoo]

Andy,

It hasn’t happened yet, but I brought it up at least a couple of years ago, just after the Café first started, as the one in Reading is mostly hosted by the Hackspace there (and I still keep an eye on goings on down there). Last time we concluded it would just be too difficult, and I understand why…

…but now Bridge Street has closed, if this is a possibility, there will still be other issues to work through other than insurance:

1. How do we stop non-members getting hands on, particularly with tools that are dangerous but still don’t require induction (eg drills, soldering irons), especially given an aim of the Repair Café is to train people a bit in how to repair things (I think/hope there is a crossover here to making/remaking that is in our aims as the Hackspace)

2. Would repairers need to be members of the Space? I think this could possibly be arranged somehow. The Cafés do generate a small surplus in cash thanks to people donating in return for fixes. Might also be good for helping to widen membership, and I’m guessing that’s something we might want to look at post-COVID

As many of you know (as I’ve pushed the possibility a couple of times), I’d love for the Café to be hosted by us, but understand all the complications that may just make it too difficult. There will be a lot of advantages for the Café in terms of access to tools and components (again, as some of you know, I’ve occasionally popped by from Bridge Street in search of a capacitor or the like), and advantages for the space in demystifying the whole ‘hack’ thing/culture and widening participation/interest/membership

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— 

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[J C]

Back when I was a director I offered the hackspace as a venue and the issues are generally easily worked around as long as we can get a couple of regular members to help out regularly and directors are happy with potential temporary memberships which we kind of have to do for some workshops anyway. 

I think the location wasn't deemed favourable previously from what I remember. 

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[Al]

Well,

I understand Repair Cafe would be allowed to restart in Summer only because the "2 meters distance" the biggest barrier.

Anzir or others, who attended as volunteers before, maybe could describe the requirements in proper English I can write this information:

- We usually need about 20 sqm space with four or five sections, each sections are separated, they need one or more tables and space around it

- Five sections usually are: Fixing tools or equipments with electrical; electronic or mechanic problems, and fixing jewellery and sewing anything they can. (clothes, bags, etc.)

The sewing section needs the biggest place and maybe three tables because sometimes six women come with sewing machines.

We usually repairing personal or housing tools and things and do not fix bikes or cars and we do not have tools for woodwork.

There is someone who buys food before the section.

We need a café machine with a grinder to make a real coffee and hot water for tea or different types of nescafes. And we need plates to give away fruits and biscuits or sometimes there are butter, sliced bread or other breads, salamis to make sandwiches.

After the session we clean properly with hoover as well.

We usually run it one Saturday in a month in the old Bridge Street church and we planned to run other Saturdays in other places in Leeds as well but pandemic came.

I suppose if we could use Hackspace we should focus on

- rearrange the space for 4-5 sections, all section needs electrical sockets and light;

- make sure tools and things stored your furniture are secured because sometimes families come with little children they prefer run around and touch anything they can;

- there are free to use parking spaces for few hours outside because everyone brings their own equipments with cars or bicycles.

If you think about to let Repair Cafe to use Hackspace I would like to get an email from a director and I could reconnect to the founder to discuss the details.

Thanks

Al

On Monday, March 15, 2021 at 2:57:12 PM UTC buildtherobots wrote:

[Ian Oliver]

Might the Heart Centre in Headingley be suitable?

Ian

[Andy51055]

Last time I looked at booking a room at Heart it was prohibitively expensive. And they made no concessions for community or non-profit groups.

[Al]

Thanks, but I am not sure.

Al

[Al]

Yes, They run a business and most of their space rented by businesses.

al

[Andy51055]

Which is a shame as the place was converted using money promised for a Hyde Park community centre. I could go on a very long rant about it, but it's quicker and easier just to say "Leeds City Council".

I hope you find somewhere permanent soon Al; the repair cafe movement needs to succeed for a whole swathe of reasons.