Birchwood Repair Cafe

Europe now has the right to repair - Repaircafe Europe has the right to repair: the European Parliament on 23 April officially adopted the directive on this right.

Something creative for your Bank Holiday Saturday…

It’s a beautiful day for
BIRCHWOOD REPAIR CAFÉ!🌞
10am to 1pm at
Birchwood Youth and Community Centre 🌞

GOLDEN, DELICIOUS AND FRESHLY BAKED FOR BIRCHWOOD REPAIR CAFÉ!
So what can we tempt you with this morning? A generous helping of Victoria sandwich cake? A mouthwatering slab of banoffee tray bake? A slice of lemon drizzle cake with a crunchy, tangy topping? Or are you more of a rocky roadster, who tends to go for the chocolate option? Whatever takes your fancy, don't leave it too late before you visit Birchwood Repair Cafe today. At just £1.50 a slice, Jackie's delicious, homemade cakes don't hang around for long!

THERE’S A LIMIT TO WHAT WE CAN DO!
Even though we love fixing things, there are certain items that we don’t repair such as antiques and vintage items of sentimental value. Wind-up clocks and watches are other examples. Not only do you need specialist knowledge and skills to fix them, you often need special tools. They can also take a very long time to fix - more than the three hours available at each session, in some cases! Other items we don’t repair include valuable jewellery, TVs, microwaves and large food mixers. If you’re not sure if we can repair your item, message us with a brief description and we’ll do our best to advise you 😀.

FREE BIKE REPAIRS THIS SATURDAY!
Bring your bike over to Birchwood Repair Café this Saturday and make the most of our free repair service. We’re open from 10am to 1pm at Birchwood Youth and Community Centre at the end of Delenty Drive but please check in at reception by 12.30pm 🚴‍♀️

IS YOUR LAWN MOWER IN NEED OF ATTENTION?
If you’re having problems with your lawnmower, bring it over to Birchwood Repair Café on Saturday 20 April, between 10am and 1pm, and see if one of our repairers can fix it for you. All repairs are free, but donations are very welcome. Find us at the end of Delenty Drive, WA3 6AN. And be sure to check in no later than 12.30pm.

TEAMS WORK!
When you check in a faulty appliance at Birchwood Repair Café, our floor manager will decide which of our repairers is best able to tackle your repair. That doesn't mean to say that other people won't be involved in the repair as well, however. Whether it's lending a steady hand during a particularly delicate procedure, or offering advice on the best way to tackle your repair, everyone benefits when our volunteers work as a team.

MANUALS ALWAYS WELCOME!
Here’s a top tip from our repair team: if you have an appliance or sewing machine that needs fixing, bringing in the instruction manual that came with it can be very helpful. And if it turns out that your appliance is beyond repair and you have to buy a new one, be sure to read the manual before using it. Basic maintenance such as emptying the water tank in a steam cleaner after use can prevent faults from developing in the first place, and save you having to make another trip to Birchwood Repair Café in future!

UP TO 3 GARDEN TOOLS SHARPENED FOR FREE
This Saturday, 20 April, we'll be offering our free blade sharpening service, along with a wide range of repairs, at Birchwood Youth and Community Centre, Delenty Drive, WA3 6AN. Please note that, for safety reasons, our larger sharpening machinery can only be operated outside, so if it's raining we may only be able to sharpen tools inside by hand.
Open 10am to 1pm, but please check in by 12.30pm.

FREE FASHION JEWELLERY REPAIRS THIS SATURDAY (OBSERVERS WELCOME 😉).
Bring your broken jewellery to Birchwood Repair Café this Saturday 20 April and watch Sandra do her best to make it sparkle again. Like all our repairers, Sandra's happy to show you how it's done and hopefully pass on a few tips in the process. Just one of the many free repairs we carry out each month at Birchwood Repair Café at the end of Delenty Drive, WA3 6AN. Open 10am to 1pm on the third Saturday of the month.💍💎👑

READY FOR THE WARMER WEATHER?
Don't laugh. It may seem like it's winter forever. But sooner or later the sun will come out, and the weather will be getting hotter. Much hotter, if the last few years are anything to go by. So now's the time to dig out those fans and check to see if they're working properly. And if they're not, Saturday 20 April is the day to get them fixed for free at Birchwood Repair Café. We're open from 10 o'clock in the morning until 1pm in the afternoon at Birchwood Youth and Community Centre, but be sure to check in by 12.30pm so we have time to carry out your repair.

WHEN HANDIWORK OUTSHINES THE MACHINES.
When it comes to sewing repairs, you'll sometimes find us reaching for a needle and thread rather than a sewing machine. Hand sewing is often better for delicate fabrics, where machine stitching might be too harsh and visible. It's also ideal for intricate repairs such as reattaching buttons and fixing small tears. In fact, learning simple hand sewing skills can be really useful. So why not ask one of our sewing repairers to show you how it's done next time you visit us?

WHEN IT’S GOT TO BE PURR-FECT!
It’s not every month that someone asks us to mend a broken cat toy. Not that it fazed Mike, one of our multi-skilled repairers, who can fix everything from hairdryers to sewing machines. Catch us this coming Saturday, 20 April, from 10am to 1pm, at Birchwood Youth and Community Centre. And don’t forget to try a delicious homemade cake while you’re there from our friendly pop-up café!

GOT A PROBLEM WITH YOUR APPLIANCE? LET’S SEE IF WE CAN GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT.
Bring it in on Saturday 20 April between 10am and 12.30pm and see if one of repairers can work out what’s wrong. All repairs are completely free of charge but donations are always welcome. Every third Saturday of the month at Birchwood Youth and Community Centre, Delenty Drive, WA3 6AN.

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF REPAIR GUIDES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS!
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Repair guides - Repaircafe The web is full of guides for repairing all kinds of things. Repair platform iFixit - our partner - offers tens of thousands of free repair guides in words and

GOOD OR BAD, WE WANT TO HEAR IT!
Whenever you bring an item for repair to Birchwood Repair Café, our reception team will always give you a feedback form to fill in before you leave. While lots of you are very happy with the free repair service we provide, you may be able to suggest ways that we can improve what we do. So please spend a couple of minutes answering the questions before you go. Your feedback is really important to us.
OPEN SATURDAY 20 APRIL from 10am to 1pm at Birchwood Youth and Community Centre.

Did you know that, as well as running Birchwood Repair Cafe, Birchwood Youth and Community Centre also runs Birchwood Creates offering regular art and craft sessions and occasional weekend workshops? Email [email protected] for more details.

LEARN THE ART OF PYROGRAPHY AT Birchwood Creates FOR JUST £35!
No drawing skills needed! Beginners welcome!
Learn the traditional art of pyrography - a unique and enjoyable skill that has its roots in nature and ancient cultural traditions - at Birchwood Youth and Community Centre, on Saturday 8 June 2024, 10am to 3pm.
Under the guidance of an experienced tutor from the Art Doctor, Chester, you will create:
-a pyrography design on a large wooden slice
-a chopping board design
-a small design on a coaster or wooden slice.
The design you create can be of anything you like - inspiration images will be provided, but feel free to bring along any imagery you might like to take ideas from. Once your designs have been burnt into the natural wood you will be shown how to seal your design with Danish oil.
HURRY! PLACES ARE STRICTLY LIMITED!
As a charity serving the local community, Birchwood Youth and Community Centre is pleased to be able to offer this workshop for the exceptionally low price of just £35, including all materials and refreshments. To find out if there are places still available, send a direct message or an email to [email protected].

MORE THAN 35 ITEMS IN LESS THAN 3 HOURS!
Another brilliant session at Birchwood Repair Café today, thanks to our wonderful team of volunteers who tackled everything from revolving cat toys to children’s backpacks! Not forgetting our welcoming reception team, and cake baker extraordinaire Jackie. Open again on Saturday 20 April from 10am to 1pm 😊. Add it to your calendar ASAP!

IT'S A GREAT DAY FOR BIRCHWOOD REPAIR CAFE!
10am to 1pm at Birchwood Youth and Community Centre.

Cake 🍰 for breakfast? Absolutely! Just come down to Birchwood Repair Café tomorrow morning and treat yourself to a slice of our delicious homemade cake 😁

Here’s a sneak peek of the mouth-watering cake selection we will have at the café tomorrow - just £1 per slice:

- Lemon drizzle cake
- Coffee and walnut tray bake
- Raspberry and custard tray bake

Which one would you choose? Let us know in the comments👇

WHEN YOUR VELCRO LOSES ITS GRIP
While Velcro fasteners are a doddle to use, they don’t last forever. Even if you spend time picking fluff and lint off the surface, sooner or later they’ll need to be replaced. To find out how, call into Birchwood Repair Café on Saturday 16 March and ask one of our sewing repairers for help. Open 10am to 1pm at Birchwood Youth and Community Centre, Delenty Drive, WA3 6AN.

“There is a real joy in being able to fix something for someone, and then showing them how.”
An article in The Guardian this week about the growing number of repair cafés and the difference they’re making!

‘There’s a real joy in fixing something’: the rise of the repair cafe Repair shops in local communities have become places for people to fix gadgets, clothing and more – often for free

FREE FASHION JEWELLERY REPAIRS!
Bracelets, beads, earrings, brooches, chains…don’t throw them away just because they’re broken. Bring them to Birchwood Repair Café this Saturday between 10am and 1pm and Sandra will do her best to fix them for you free of charge. 💍💎📿

WHAT'S STOPPING YOU FROM USING YOUR SEWING MACHINE?
Does your motor belt keep slipping? Is your fabric refusing to feed under the needle? Or do you just need someone to talk you through the basics? Whatever the problem, bring your sewing machine over to Birchwood Repair Café and we'll see if we can fix it for you. Open 10am to 1 pm every 3rd Saturday of the month at Birchwood Youth and Community Centre. Repairs are free but donations are welcome.

GARDEN TOOLS SHARPENED FOR FREE!
This Saturday, 16 March, we'll be offering our free blade sharpening service, along with a wide range of repairs, at Birchwood Youth and Community Centre, Delenty Drive, WA3 6AN. Please note that, for safety reasons, our larger sharpening machinery can only be operated outside, so if it's raining we may only be able to sharpen tools inside by hand.
Open 10am to 1pm, but please check in by 12.30pm.