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The Transition Buxton team who run the popular monthly Repair Café in the halls of the Methodist Church on the Market Place is celebrating a milestone after keeping 1000 broken items out of landfill.

Last month was the 32nd session since the group started in September 2019.

The volunteers welcomed the 1000th item to repair, a clock, marking a milestone in the cafe’s history.

Katherine and Martin Gilson said: “We needed a clock for the kitchen and found a second hand one we liked via an online auction site.

A kitchen clock which has been fixed by Buxton Repair Cafe and is the milestone 1,000 piece which has been mended. Photo submitted

“The hands were slightly bent so it didn’t tell the time properly – which is something of a fundamental flaw for a clock.

“Despite our best efforts we couldn’t get the hour hand to sit properly.

“We took it to the Repair Café and our repairer had the tools and knowledge to adjust the hands and get it working properly in no time.

“He also gave us some advice on clock maintenance which was very helpful.”

The clock is now sitting happily on the kitchen wall and is working perfectly.

Katherine said: “Thank you to everyone at the Repair Café for providing such a valuable service.“

By repairing 200 items in 2023, allowing them to go on being used, rather than being replaced by new ones, Buxton people have saved over 6 tonnes of CO2.

Jean Ball, from Transition Butxon which organises the cafe, said: “That’s not bad for a few volunteers in a church hall once a month.

“Not every item that comes into the Repair Café can be fully repaired, mostly due to

designed in obsolescence, but the enthusiastic volunteers will have a go at most things

and have an impressive success rate.”

Transition Buxton CIC does not charge fees for the repair service but welcome donations of an amount that you feel is fair and can afford to help cover their running costs.

The Repair Café team will be back on Saturday March, 23 between 9.30am and 1pm.

No pre-booking required at the cafe and there are Fairtrade refreshments available from the Church Café while people wait.

The team can be contacted via [email protected]

Buxton’s repair café’ mends 1000th Item and saving over six tonnes of carbon