- Welcome to Repair Café.
Recent posts
#21
United Kingdom / Re: Advice
Last post by repaircafeweymouth - July 25, 2020, 03:47:39 PMHi Stuart, I see you have had 0 replies to your query so I hope I can tell what works for us at Repair Cafe Weymouth.
Location + Repair Cafe. I was advised the other way round but apparently Repair Cafe org changed their standard because everyone did it as location + Repair Cafe.
Someone helped me to create our RepairCafeWeymouth facebook page. He created under his own personal account and made me an administrator. Once we had another person who could also manage the page, he removed himself as administrator. We created it as a page, not a group. This means anyone can like and follow us. They don't have to wait to be accepted into a group. We are a not for profit community organisation and created the page under this category. I could have done it myself once I saw how.
How we got and how we get volunteers and vet them: I suggested on a local Facebook page in January 2019 that a Repair might be a great idea for Weymouth. People replied saying it was a great idea, and even volunteering. I posted it on nextdoor.co.uk and got an even better response rate. I created an email address for our Repair Cafe. We called a public meeting a pub in Feb 2019, hoping to find someone to run it as well as volunteers. We got 40 people - all either volunteers or press/ radio. We captured their contact details. At the meeting we publicly asked each person what skills they could contribute. Our trial run, with all paperwork in place was 7 weeks later. We are very successful.
Now, people come to an event, they love it and they volunteer! I interview every volunteer face to face. We've had 2 who didn't work out - an electrical repairer who just declared everything fixed (without fixing it) or not fixable and wouldn't get things PAT tested. Also a rather doddery sewist who was a bit of a liability. We have 53 volunteers.
I hope this helps. If you would like to know more, see our facebook page and message me. Ros
Location + Repair Cafe. I was advised the other way round but apparently Repair Cafe org changed their standard because everyone did it as location + Repair Cafe.
Someone helped me to create our RepairCafeWeymouth facebook page. He created under his own personal account and made me an administrator. Once we had another person who could also manage the page, he removed himself as administrator. We created it as a page, not a group. This means anyone can like and follow us. They don't have to wait to be accepted into a group. We are a not for profit community organisation and created the page under this category. I could have done it myself once I saw how.
How we got and how we get volunteers and vet them: I suggested on a local Facebook page in January 2019 that a Repair might be a great idea for Weymouth. People replied saying it was a great idea, and even volunteering. I posted it on nextdoor.co.uk and got an even better response rate. I created an email address for our Repair Cafe. We called a public meeting a pub in Feb 2019, hoping to find someone to run it as well as volunteers. We got 40 people - all either volunteers or press/ radio. We captured their contact details. At the meeting we publicly asked each person what skills they could contribute. Our trial run, with all paperwork in place was 7 weeks later. We are very successful.
Now, people come to an event, they love it and they volunteer! I interview every volunteer face to face. We've had 2 who didn't work out - an electrical repairer who just declared everything fixed (without fixing it) or not fixable and wouldn't get things PAT tested. Also a rather doddery sewist who was a bit of a liability. We have 53 volunteers.
I hope this helps. If you would like to know more, see our facebook page and message me. Ros
#22
Legal issues / Re: Home / Insurance for event...
Last post by captainfuzzyface - March 09, 2020, 11:09:00 PMI shall be bringing up the subject of insurance at the Repair Cafe Conference on Thursday (12 March 2020)
I agree that getting insurance is currently an issue and one that needs a consolidated approach.
Martin
I agree that getting insurance is currently an issue and one that needs a consolidated approach.
Martin
#23
Legal issues / Re: where is the waiver form f...
Last post by StuartT - March 09, 2020, 08:36:17 AMIn the UK new RC startup pack, there is a file named..
RC_Registration_form_ENGLISH_v_11_2019.pdf
It has info on the front about the visitor and item for repair, and on the back are 'house rules'....
House rules Bin it? No way!
• The work carried out in the Repair Café is performed free of charge on a voluntary basis by the
repair experts at hand.
• Visitors carry out the repairs themselves whenever possible, but repair experts on site can help
if necessary.
• The fact that the repairs are being performed by unpaid volunteers reflects the allocation of
risks and limitation of liability: neither the organisers of the Repair Café nor the 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. The limitations set forth in these house rules
shall not apply to claims declared justified on the basis of liability arising by virtue of applicable
consumer protection legislation which cannot be lawfully superseded.
• A voluntary donation is greatly appreciated.
• Any use of new materials such as leads, plugs, fuses, ready-made kneebends or applications
will be paid for separately.
• Visitors offering broken items for repair do so at their own risk.
• 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.
• Repair experts are entitled to refuse to repair certain objects.
• Repair experts are not obliged to reassemble disassembled appliances that cannot be repaired.
• Visitors to Repair Café are solely responsible for the tidy removal of broken objects that could
not be repaired.
• To cut down on unnecessary waiting times during busy periods, a maximum of ONE broken
item per person will be examined. The visitor will join the back of the queue if there is a second
item for repair.
I declare that I have read these house rules and agree to them:
Signature Date
RC_Registration_form_ENGLISH_v_11_2019.pdf
It has info on the front about the visitor and item for repair, and on the back are 'house rules'....
House rules Bin it? No way!
• The work carried out in the Repair Café is performed free of charge on a voluntary basis by the
repair experts at hand.
• Visitors carry out the repairs themselves whenever possible, but repair experts on site can help
if necessary.
• The fact that the repairs are being performed by unpaid volunteers reflects the allocation of
risks and limitation of liability: neither the organisers of the Repair Café nor the 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. The limitations set forth in these house rules
shall not apply to claims declared justified on the basis of liability arising by virtue of applicable
consumer protection legislation which cannot be lawfully superseded.
• A voluntary donation is greatly appreciated.
• Any use of new materials such as leads, plugs, fuses, ready-made kneebends or applications
will be paid for separately.
• Visitors offering broken items for repair do so at their own risk.
• 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.
• Repair experts are entitled to refuse to repair certain objects.
• Repair experts are not obliged to reassemble disassembled appliances that cannot be repaired.
• Visitors to Repair Café are solely responsible for the tidy removal of broken objects that could
not be repaired.
• To cut down on unnecessary waiting times during busy periods, a maximum of ONE broken
item per person will be examined. The visitor will join the back of the queue if there is a second
item for repair.
I declare that I have read these house rules and agree to them:
Signature Date
#24
How to find volunteers / Re: Places to start
Last post by StuartT - March 09, 2020, 08:27:19 AM?
#25
United Kingdom / Advice
Last post by StuartT - March 08, 2020, 10:22:27 AMHi,
Anyone with experience able to offer any advice...
On the name...
Repair cafe + location.?
Or
Location + repair cafe ?
Does it matter. Seems there is a big mix out there.
what's the best way to present a repair cafe on Facebook ?
- create under my existing personal account ?
- create a new account for the repair cafe ?
- create a group ?
- create a page ?
- create a not for profit busines/charity ?
And then when looking for volunteers, how do we guage if they have the skills we needs - and check if they are experienced enough to fix rather than just bodge something?
Anyone with experience able to offer any advice...
On the name...
Repair cafe + location.?
Or
Location + repair cafe ?
Does it matter. Seems there is a big mix out there.
what's the best way to present a repair cafe on Facebook ?
- create under my existing personal account ?
- create a new account for the repair cafe ?
- create a group ?
- create a page ?
- create a not for profit busines/charity ?
And then when looking for volunteers, how do we guage if they have the skills we needs - and check if they are experienced enough to fix rather than just bodge something?
#26
Legal issues / Re: where is the waiver form f...
Last post by spanner48 - February 23, 2020, 06:53:35 PM"Because safety comes first in the Repair Café" ???
Who says? I don't. EFFECTIVENESS comes first.
I have helped out as a volunteer at some 76 RCs over the past 3 years. But I've had to knock 4 of the RCs on my 'roster' off, because they have "Fallen down the 'E'f-n-Safety Rabbithole". And that is exactly where this sort of legalistic pernicketiness is leading. Most RCs have a notice at the entrance, which tells people that they should only bring items that they might otherwise throw away; and that they have no grounds for a claim against a volunteer repairer, if the item can't be fixed, or ands up as scrap. That's normally sufficient.
With me, you'd have a volunteer who won't come again if there is a waiver form. Occasionally I get a form thrust at me, asking me to sign that I have read and agreed to pages of Elf-n-Safety rules and procedures. I always refuse. If they insist, I leave.
Let's remember, RCs are a community activity, operated by volunteers, out of goodwill. Not by lawyers and civil servants.
Who says? I don't. EFFECTIVENESS comes first.
I have helped out as a volunteer at some 76 RCs over the past 3 years. But I've had to knock 4 of the RCs on my 'roster' off, because they have "Fallen down the 'E'f-n-Safety Rabbithole". And that is exactly where this sort of legalistic pernicketiness is leading. Most RCs have a notice at the entrance, which tells people that they should only bring items that they might otherwise throw away; and that they have no grounds for a claim against a volunteer repairer, if the item can't be fixed, or ands up as scrap. That's normally sufficient.
With me, you'd have a volunteer who won't come again if there is a waiver form. Occasionally I get a form thrust at me, asking me to sign that I have read and agreed to pages of Elf-n-Safety rules and procedures. I always refuse. If they insist, I leave.
Let's remember, RCs are a community activity, operated by volunteers, out of goodwill. Not by lawyers and civil servants.
#27
United Kingdom / New Repair Cafe in Gillingham,...
Last post by StuartT - February 21, 2020, 11:46:30 AMjust wanted to say a quick `Hi` to everyone here...
ive been involved in an existing local RC in Shaftesbury for the past few months and am now involved in setting up a new Repair Cafe in Gillingham, Dorset.
glad to hear any tips anyone has on a new RC startup.
Stuart.
ive been involved in an existing local RC in Shaftesbury for the past few months and am now involved in setting up a new Repair Cafe in Gillingham, Dorset.
glad to hear any tips anyone has on a new RC startup.
Stuart.
#28
United Kingdom / Public Insurance
Last post by captainfuzzyface - February 16, 2020, 07:49:12 PMDo other UK Repair Cafes organise their own public insurances? At the moment, we are covered by the venues that we work at but we would like to have our own so that we can hold pop-up events and work at other venues.
#29
United Kingdom / Re: Repair Monitor
Last post by captainfuzzyface - February 16, 2020, 07:44:33 PMWell, we used Repair Monitor for the first time yesterday and whilst it looks like a very good basis, it clearly still needs work. Does anyone from Repair Monitor read this forum topic?
#30
United Kingdom / Re: Repair Monitor
Last post by captainfuzzyface - January 21, 2020, 01:02:46 PMHi,
Link for anyone who doesn't know what Repair Monitor is (which included me until 2 minutes ago). https://repairmonitor.org/en
Our RC has been logging appropriate items with the Restart Project (where appropriate) but I think that we will probably switch to this now. I'll give more feedback once we have actually used it a few times.
Martin
Link for anyone who doesn't know what Repair Monitor is (which included me until 2 minutes ago). https://repairmonitor.org/en
Our RC has been logging appropriate items with the Restart Project (where appropriate) but I think that we will probably switch to this now. I'll give more feedback once we have actually used it a few times.
Martin