Tunbridge Wells Repair Café
For All of Us
Welcome to the Tunbridge Wells Repair Café. We are a volunteer run monthly not-for-profit community event that offers a repair service for household and garden items. The aim is to prolong the life of items, reduce landfill and save you having to buy new things unnecessarily in a friendly sociable way
What household items can we help you with at the Repair Café?
number of household items we've repaired
percentage of items we've BEEN ABLE TO repair
Computers / IT
Laptops, printers, tablets, phones and software problems
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What can we help with?
Be it hardware or software the team will hopefully be able to help. They have deleted conflicting software, cleaned full hard disks, reloaded operating systems and advised on replacement parts.
If you are not sure what is wrong then come and see them, they can also help guide you on software and how to use something so if you need a little bit of training then come along see them. They can’t spend all morning teaching you but can certainly get you started.
They have replaced the screens on a few laptops if you supply it. Please check with them first though and if we can help you’ll need to bring a new screen.
If you are not sure if the team can help, please come along and you can speak to them.
What can’t we help with?
We can’t help with phone or tablet screen replacement. It can be a tricky job and there are a number of outlets in town that offer this and they do it day in and day out so we are happy to leave it to them.
MECHANICAL
Repair of clocks, music boxes, mechanical toys, umbrellas, record players and more…
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What can we help with?
The mechanical team have also worked on garden pump sprayers, strimmers, pocket watches, musical instruments and ironing boards!
They have specialist tools to dismantle items and see if they need a spare part or merely cleaning and lubricating to get them working again. If we need you to get spare part we will advise you where to get it and you can return at a future repair café with it and we will fit the new part.
If you are not sure if the team can help, please come along and you can speak to them.
What can’t we help with?
The team are not trained clock / watch specialists (horologists). They have had good success with numerous clocks where they have been over wound or when they are very dirty and need oiling. Restoring clocks can be a lengthy and expensive job so we will be able to guide you as to whether you need more specialist help. With watches we can change batteries but anything more needs specialist equipment and more time which we don’t have
We are unable to offer brazing or welding at the repair café.
We are unable to help with larger petrol driven machinery such as lawn mowers, chainsaws and hedge trimmers.
We do not offer any restoration service for antique items, we only repair. If you need restoration we advise you to speak to a specialist.
Electrical
Kettles, toasters, lamps, coffee makers and hedge trimmers, any household or garden electrical item excluding microwaves.
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What can we help with?
In addition to the above, which are the most common items we see, we help with radios, clocks, oscillating fans, stereo’s, DVD players, hair dryer’s, speakers, electric toys, pressure washers and vacuum cleaners.
Our team of repairers will take a look at your item and see what can be done, we tend to fix about 2 out of every 3 items brought in but if we can’t fix it we’ll let you know what your options are. If we need you to get spare part we will advise you where to get it and you can return at a future repair café with it and we will fit the new part.
The electrical station is the busiest station so please expect a wait and perhaps bring a book along to read so you have something to do. The Trinity Theatre café is available for refreshments.
If you are not sure if the team can help, please come along and you can speak to them.
Lastly, if you know of anyone with electrical repair skills we are always looking for more volunteers on this station.
What can’t we help with?
We don’t look at microwave ovens, obviously items that are sealed units that can’t be opened are beyond our help.
We are unable to help with larger TV’s greater than 32″.
We are only able to look at smaller kitchen appliance items, we can’t look at larger white goods domestic appliances such as fridges, washing machines, dishwashers etc.
We do not offer any restoration service for antique items, we only repair. If you need restoration we advise you to speak to a specialist.
Clothing / Textiles
Jumpers, shorts, shirts, rucksacks, gloves and handbags. We can help with clothing and textile repairs.
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What can we help with?
The textiles team sees an amazing array of things, in addition to the above they see jackets, leggings, t-shirts, teddies, dresses and some leather goods. They can sew, darn, patch and replace buttons and zips so the clothes can continue to be worn.
If we need you to get spare part e.g. a zip we will advise you where to get it and you can return at a future repair café with it and we can fit it.
If you are not sure if the team can help, please come along and you can speak to them.
What can’t we help with?
They do not do alterations so please don’t bring in your curtains and trousers to be taken up. There are some great shops in town that can help with that.
We do not offer any restoration service for antique items, we only repair. If you need restoration we advise you to speak to a specialist.
Jewellery
Earrings, necklaces and bracelets.
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What can we help with?
We can help with broken clasps, missing clasps, jump ring repairs, replacing security chains and restringing.
As there is such variability with jewellery it is difficult to decide exactly if we are able to help, so the team advise coming along and checking in with them. For some tasks they might need to refer you to a jeweller. In a few cases they may need to take the repair home to complete and bring it back next time. We try not to encourage that as our volunteers give their time for free and we don’t expect them to spend a lot of time at home doing the repairs.
What can’t we help with?
We don’t offer silver or gold soldering, you will need to visit a jeweller for help with that.
We do not offer any restoration service for antique items, we only repair. If you need restoration we advise you to speak to a specialist.
Knives / Tool Sharpening
Sharpening of kitchen knives, garden shears, scissors, axes and garden loppers.
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What can we help with?
In addition we have also helped with chisels and hand planes.
The team use grinding stones and a slow grinding tool to sharpen the items brought in. The general rule at the Tunbridge Wells Repair Café is only one item per person but we do allow up to 4 garden tools and there is no limit on knives but please be sensible as we try to help as many people as possible.
If you are not sure if the team can help, please come along and you can speak to them.
What can’t we help with?
We do not offer any restoration service for antique items, we only sharpen. If you need restoration we advise you to speak to a specialist.
miscellaneous
Repair of toys, ceramics, glasses, ornaments, small furniture, lampshades and umbrellas…plus more
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What can we help with?
They have also seen puppets, pepper grinders, steam engines, watch straps, shoes and many other items.
The miscellaneous team are the ‘jack of all trades’ and they see everything else that isn’t covered on the other repair stations. They have an amazing array of skills with different members having different specialities.
If it needs gluing, supporting, soldering or screwing together, they can help.
If you are not sure if the team can help, please come along and you can speak to them.
What can’t we help with?
We are unable to offer brazing or welding at the repair café.
We are only able to look at smaller furniture, we can’t look at larger items e.g. sofas, large chairs, large book cases etc.
We do not do upholstering of furniture, chairs etc
We do not offer any restoration service for antique items, we only repair. If you need restoration we advise you to speak to a specialist.
Our Charity Partners
Any money raised from donations firstly covers the running costs of the Tunbridge Wells Repair Café, after that any additional money raised goes to charity. So far we have raised £4000 for charity. We have supported the following charities:
A local charity advising and supporting those with mental health problems.
A local charity supporting terminally ill children and their families.
Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance – providing emergency care to patients across the South East.
A national charity saving lives at sea through lifeboats and search and rescue.
Trinity Theatre kindly offers the space to hold the repair café for free. We purchase much needed equipment to help it continue to provide amazing local entertainment all year.