Renfrewshire's first Repair Fair - cuckoo clocks, cake and a new community directory

At Renfrewshire’s first Repair Fair at The Wynd Centre in Paisley, children tried on pre-loved Halloween costumes as adults poured over clockworks, circuit boards and ripped jumpers to work out the best ways to fix them - all fuelled by cake, coffee and community cheer. 

The Repair Fair was put on by Renfrewshire Climate Action Hub (‘RenCAN Hub’) to celebrate repair and mending culture in the heart of Paisley, highlighting the important work done by local community organisations. The event marked International Repair Day, which takes place on the third Saturday in October each year to promote the value and importance of repairing things.

Svenja Meyerricks, Development Officer at RenCAN Hub, said: “More people recognise that repairing things can help save money and reduce waste. It also feels great when something gets fixed that someone was about to toss away. We’ve organised this day to highlight the brilliant and affordable repair projects we have here in Renfrewshire, and how folk can get support to have a go at mending things themselves.” 

Gryffe Repair Cafe’s dedicated team of skilled and experienced volunteers were on hand to repair broken items people brought along on the day. They worked to repair a ripped jumper, a broken record player, a faulty bluetooth speaker and a 1960s cuckoo clock - the repair highlight of the day.

Mary O'Brien, Trustee of Gryffe Repair Cafe, said: "Working together with other repair organisations is important. We're all volunteers and very busy with running our monthly repair cafe in Bridge of Weir. Running an event in Paisley means that more people can find out where they can get things fixed rather than thrown in the landfill."

Workshops at the Repair Fair included mending and embroidery with ReMode, Paisley’s sustainable textile design and slow fashion organisation. Artist Rebecca Morris brought her in-depth knowledge of local weaving songs and traditions to the table. Fair Trade charity Rainbow Turtle offered upcycled crafts for all ages. The feel-good factor was writ large - with a purpose. While the overall aim is to reduce waste, it’s also about a change of mindsets - from a throwaway culture to caring for things to make them last longer.

This week, the Scottish Government launched their consultation on a new draft circular economy strategy. The strategy lays out the steps for moving from a linear “take, make and dispose” economic model to a circular economy where materials and goods are valued and kept in use for as long as possible. 

As big changes are on the horizon, community organisations are leading the way and show what’s possible with lots of dedication and enthusiasm - and cake.

Looking for opportunities to share and repair near you?

• Information about Gryffe Repair Cafe's upcoming repair cafes can be found on their Facebook page.
• Upcoming workshops with ReMode can be found on their website.