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JOURNAL JUNE 2026
LUTTERWORTH REPAIR CAFÉ RECEIVES COMMUNITY AWARD
The local community recently honoured the Lutterworth Repair Café by presenting us with the Lutterworth Community Award for voluntary services.
This recognition is gratefully accepted and deeply encouraging, reflecting our efforts to support our local community and which we hope is making a difference.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who as supported for us. This recognition from the community will motivates us to continue improving and expanding our services
From the outset, our aim with the Repair Café was simple: to bring people together, reduce waste, share skills, and help keep every day and cherished items in use for longer.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has either visited or volunteered their time. Your support has helped to make our journey meaningful and fun.
Whilst we carry out all repairs free of charge where possible, we do have overheads. If you wish to support us by making contribution, please use the QR code below or come and see us and make the donation in person
Thank you for welcoming the Lutterworth Repair Café into the heart of the community. We look forward to many more years of repairs, conversations, and shared learning together.
Our next repair café’s will take place on Sunday 28th June & Sunday July 19th at our usual venue, High Point Market Street.
If you wish to contact us about an item or find out more information about the Repair Café, please either Email [email protected] or visit WWW. lutterworthrepaircafe.com
Journal APRIL 2026
Stitch by Stitch:
Lutterworth Repair Café: A Service for the Community.
In this throwaway age, Lutterworth is pushing back.
On the third Sunday of every month, people from across the community are turning up at the Lutterworth Repair Café, bringing everything from faulty appliances to broken or worn family heirlooms for our team of volunteer craftsmen to give them a new lease of life
Part of a global movement that began in the Netherlands, the Repair Café connects skilled volunteers of electricians, carpenters, seamstresses amongst others with members of the community who have chosen to fix rather than throw away. Repairers give their time free of charge, with donations helping to cover costs.
Many fixes take just minutes. Most items aren’t truly broken—just worn, loose, or in need of care. A small repair can give a second life to treasured items
One visitor recently brought in a sentimental lamp previously declared “beyond repair” and left with it fully restored. “You can’t put a price on that,” was their comment.
An Important Community Lifeline
Since beginning over a year ago the Café is offering priceless community service.
The team dedicated team of volunteers are at the heart of the Cafe. Whether soldering electronics, sewing or restoring furniture, their commitment goes beyond repairs.
For visitors just being part of the event can be a positive experience. As one regular put it: “Even if my item can’t be fixed, I’ve had a chat and learned something new.”
Another commented ‘It’s about hope, the hope that we don’t have to throw our history away’
Looking Ahead
Demand is growing, and new volunteers are always welcome.
“You don’t need to be an expert,” organisers say. “If you can sew on a button or change a plug, you can help.”
Next Events
The next Lutterworth Repair Café will take place on:
Sunday 19 April and Sunday 17 May, 11:00am–3:00pm at Lutterworth Highpoint.
To volunteer or support the café, please get in touch via web site www.lutterworthrepaircafe.com
Journal feb 2026
A very Happy New Year to everyone from all of us at Lutterworth Repair Café.
Our first event of the year took place on Sunday 18th at our usual venue, High Point, Lutterworth, and once again it proved to be a lively and rewarding session. As we have come to expect, we were presented with a wonderfully eclectic mix of items for repair. From the practical to the historic, each object brought its own story—and its own challenge. One memorable repair involved an office chair whose gas suspension had completely failed, leaving its owner, Peter, perilously close to the floor. We’re pleased to report that the chair has now been restored to full working order and is back in pride of place. Peter can once again sit comfortably—whether answering emails or perhaps finally writing that novel.
Another fascinating item was a Singer sewing machine dating from the 1940s. Unusual for its time, it was powered by a small electric motor operated by a knee controller. After a thorough clean and careful lubrication, the machine was brought back to life. The wiring raised a few eyebrows, with red used for live and yellow for neutral—very different from modern standards. However, a full inspection confirmed the cable was in good condition, and a subsequent PAT test certified it as safe to use. With luck, this beautifully engineered machine will now provide another 80 years of service.
Not all items are straightforward, and one particular restoration has us scratching our heads. We were shown a birth certificate dated 1898, but intriguingly stamped with an Act of Parliament from 1901. The document had previously been repaired with Sellotape, which has since become brittle and discoloured. While we have identified archival-quality repair tape, its white backing makes it unsuitable for a double-sided document. We are currently seeking advice from experts and local historical societies on the best approach to conserving this fragile piece of history. If you have experience in document restoration, we would love to hear from you—especially if you might consider volunteering with us.
Finally, we have two pieces of good news to share. At long last, Lutterworth Repair Café has a fully functioning website:
www.lutterworthrepaircafe.com
We are also putting the finishing touches to a new electronic newsletter. If you would like to receive a copy by email, please complete the request form on our website. As always, thank you for your continued support—we look forward to seeing you at our next Repair Café
Sunday 16th November 2025 .. Saw our 1st anniversary of our first cafe, the full crew of repairers all gathered for a buffet lunch and Non-alcoholic sparkly drinks. It's been quite a year, our little band gets stronger each meeting. But the main thanks goes to the people of Lutterworth who trust us with their treasured items.
Lutterworth Journal October 2025
Another Successful Day at Lutterworth Repair Café – Next Event Announced Lutterworth, 21st September 2025 – Lutterworth Repair Café has once again brought the community together with another successful event held today at High Point, Lutterworth residents gathered to give their much-loved items a new lease of life, with volunteers on hand to repair a wide range of household goods – from electrical items and clothing to cuckoo clocks.
The Repair Café continues to grow in popularity, saving items from landfill while helping people learn new skills and encouraging a spirit of community and sustainability. Visitors not only left with working items, but also with the satisfaction of contributing to a greener future. Organizers are delighted with the turnout and the number of successful repairs achieved. "It’s wonderful to see so many people coming together to reduce waste and share skills. Every event shows how much our community values repairing, reusing, and connecting with each other,” said a spokesperson for Lutterworth Repair Café. The next Lutterworth Repair Café will take place on Sunday, 19th October 2025 & November 23rd Venue: High Point, Lutterworth 11am -3pm. Everyone is welcome to bring along broken items in need of fixing. We of course do not charge for our time to repair them.
For more information, updates, and future dates, please follow Lutterworth Repair Café on social media or contact the organizing team directly. If you feel you can add your skill to our volunteers, please contact Rob below. Alternatively, you may want to add a financial contribution to help with our running costs.
Rob Coleman/[email protected]
Tel:07747 692720.
Lutterworth Journal July 2025
Our latest Repair Café on the 13th July, was another fantastic success! Held at the High Point in Lutterworth, we were thrilled to see so many people bringing in their broken items, from toasters and clocks to old photos and cd players, all hoping to give them a new lease of life. Our amazing team of volunteers worked hard all day offering their skills, advice and cheerful energy. There’s nothing quite like the buzz of a Repair Café — not just fixing things, but building community, sharing knowledge and helping reduce waste. The smiles from happy visitors when a beloved item is repaired are truly heart-warming. However, to keep this community event thriving, we need more volunteers. Whether you’re handy with a needle, screwdriver, or simply booking in items and chatting to visitors, there’s a place for you here. We welcome all skills especially in fabric repair, mechanics and electronics. If you care about sustainability, enjoy helping others, or just want to be part of something positive and local, why not join us. Please email [email protected]
Our next Cafe is on Sunday 17th, 11am to 3pm with the last item accepted at 2pm. Please note after the normal repair shop we will be holding our AGM from 3pm to 4pm both at the High Point, Market Street, Lutterworth.
