About Goring Repair CafÉ
The primary aim of the Goring Repair Café is to reduce waste and the unnecessary consumption of replacement products by repairing things which are often simple to fix by someone who knows what they are doing. This hopefully avoids the need to buy a replacement and therefore avoids the carbon and other the greenhouse gas emissions produced when it is manufactured and shipped, possibly half way across the world in some cases.
There are social benefits too for the community. For instance, the immense satisfaction for the owner of giving a useful item a new lease of life. It’s rewarding too for the repairers to have used their skills productively and for both parties, and the Planet, it’s win-win all round.
Another aim is to encourage people who bring in items to sit and watch the repairer attempting to identify the fault and repair it. The idea is that for some people it may help increase their confidence to attempt self-repairs in the future. You will see on the layout of the hall, there are 2 chairs in front of every repairer’s work station for this purpose.
The first event was on Saturday 1 April 2023 in Goring Village Hall and was deemed a great success when over 150 people attended, in addition to the 14 repairers and 9 other helpers. Of the 61 items brought in, 36 (60%) were successfully repaired or partially repaired and working. Of the remaining 40%, although a few items were beyond economic repair, most were unable to be repaired due mainly to the need for spare parts which were not available at the time.
There are some simple House Rules when bringing in items for repair, so please read these before you come along with an item, as these are a condition of our service.
The main costs of service are associated with the hire of the venue and the providing the basic items and services to run the event safely and efficiently. So we welcome donationsand encourage the use of Café Bellême, which is open throughout the period, to help offset these expenses.
Would you like to be a volunteer repairer? To find out what’s involved, please get in touch and we can discuss how we operate in more detail. We are particularly interested in people with an interest and repairs skills in clocks & watches, china & glass and also doll restoration, eg body repairs and re-stringing limbs.
Goring Repair Café is registered member of the International Repair Cafe Organisation, a concept which originated in the Netherlands in 2007 and has been adopted throughout the world due to the significant benefits to people and the Planet.
What to bring in
You can bring up to 2 items at each event. See a list of the types and categories of items we will attempt to repair.
What not to bring in
Basically, items that are too large or heavy for a single person to carry, eg ‘white goods’ as these are not able to be dealt with. Also, ‘safety-related’ items, such as smoke alarms and heat sensors, as these need to be certified by the manufacturer to be fit and safe for purpose.
Please note that only relatively minor repairs can be undertaken due to time constraints and the limited range of tools the repairers are able to bring with them. However, the repairers on hand will advise you, if necessary, how to complete the repairs or maintenance yourself if needed. Sharing skills is another of our aims in order to help more people consider repairing and saving some money and resources, instead of discarding broken items and buying a replacement.
There are social benefits too for the community. For instance, the immense satisfaction for the owner of giving a useful item a new lease of life. It’s rewarding too for the repairers to have used their skills productively and for both parties, and the Planet, it’s win-win all round.
Another aim is to encourage people who bring in items to sit and watch the repairer attempting to identify the fault and repair it. The idea is that for some people it may help increase their confidence to attempt self-repairs in the future. You will see on the layout of the hall, there are 2 chairs in front of every repairer’s work station for this purpose.
The first event was on Saturday 1 April 2023 in Goring Village Hall and was deemed a great success when over 150 people attended, in addition to the 14 repairers and 9 other helpers. Of the 61 items brought in, 36 (60%) were successfully repaired or partially repaired and working. Of the remaining 40%, although a few items were beyond economic repair, most were unable to be repaired due mainly to the need for spare parts which were not available at the time.
There are some simple House Rules when bringing in items for repair, so please read these before you come along with an item, as these are a condition of our service.
The main costs of service are associated with the hire of the venue and the providing the basic items and services to run the event safely and efficiently. So we welcome donationsand encourage the use of Café Bellême, which is open throughout the period, to help offset these expenses.
Would you like to be a volunteer repairer? To find out what’s involved, please get in touch and we can discuss how we operate in more detail. We are particularly interested in people with an interest and repairs skills in clocks & watches, china & glass and also doll restoration, eg body repairs and re-stringing limbs.
Goring Repair Café is registered member of the International Repair Cafe Organisation, a concept which originated in the Netherlands in 2007 and has been adopted throughout the world due to the significant benefits to people and the Planet.
What to bring in
You can bring up to 2 items at each event. See a list of the types and categories of items we will attempt to repair.
What not to bring in
Basically, items that are too large or heavy for a single person to carry, eg ‘white goods’ as these are not able to be dealt with. Also, ‘safety-related’ items, such as smoke alarms and heat sensors, as these need to be certified by the manufacturer to be fit and safe for purpose.
Please note that only relatively minor repairs can be undertaken due to time constraints and the limited range of tools the repairers are able to bring with them. However, the repairers on hand will advise you, if necessary, how to complete the repairs or maintenance yourself if needed. Sharing skills is another of our aims in order to help more people consider repairing and saving some money and resources, instead of discarding broken items and buying a replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions - repair
Some answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Q What sort of products can I bring for repair?
You can bring along most household products, eg toasters, food mixers, coffee makers, kettles, vacuum cleaners, clocks, hairdryers, electric heaters, lamps & fans etc. Other products include; bicycles, buggies, items of clothing, textiles, radios, Hi-Fi equipment, speakers, garden tools & machinery eg: strimmers, hedge cutters & mowers. Small tables & chairs, sewing machines, toys, dolls, power tools, laptop computers, mobile phones, ornaments & decorative and musical boxes to name but a few!
Q What shouldn’t we bring in?
Large items which cannot be carried in by one person. A good guide is that the product should not be larger than a piece of airline carry-on luggage. If you are in doubt or have something unusual, please contact us using the FIND US page
Products we can’t handle include ‘white goods’ eg washing machines, tumble dryers & fridges etc. Also, we not undertake repairs on industrial devices, 3 phase power tools or products that could present a hazard to repairers such as those known to contain or be made from asbestos or other hazardous materials.
NB: ‘Alterations’ to clothing or textiles, eg curtains etc, are not undertaken, just ‘repairs’.
Q How many faulty items may I bring in?
You may bring up to 2 products for repair. However, each product needs to be booked in individually at the reception desk. When we are busy you may need to wait once checked in for a suitable volunteer repairer to become available to make an assessment and attempt the repair of your item. Please be aware that if you bring 2 items then you may have to queue twice unless there is no-one else waiting.
Q What is the process when I arrive at the Repair Cafe?
On arrival you are asked to check in at our reception desk to register your product(s) and complete a simple Registration & Consent Form for each one. We have 2 Forms which are very similar, one for registering electrical items and a variant for non-electrical ones (marked with an E or NE respectively). Click to see the Registration Forms.
As you will see on the forms, it requires you signing it to consenting to our ‘House Rules’, which are fairly standard at all Repair Cafes or similar organisations. These rules will be printed on an A3 display board at or near the reception desk(s). Click here to read the Rules
Once completed you will either be directed with your item to a suitable repairer or be asked to wait in the Belleme Cafe until one becomes available. Once a repairer becomes free, a volunteers will advise you and usually take you along to the appropriate work station where the Repairer will discuss the fault with you. You are encouraged to sit at the repair station whilst your product is being diagnosed and repaired. We actively encourage visitors to discuss with their repairer what is being done, as you may be able to use this knowledge to help rectify or prevent the same problem occurring in future.
Q Do I need to bring the lead/charger/batteries with me for electrical or electronic products?
Yes, please bring anything the repairer may need in order to power the item up and attempt a diagnosis of the fault and then test it afterwards.
Q Do you charge for carrying out repairs or do we give a donation?
Goring Repair Café does not make any charges to look at and attempt the repair of product or giving advice. Everyone helping on the day, both the Repairers and other helpers, are volunteers and do not charge for their time.
If spare parts or materials are needed to carry out the repair and you agree to this, then you are expected to pay for these items. If spare parts are needed normally what happens is that the repairer will identify the part number etc and will ask you to purchase the parts yourself and bring these along to a future Repair Café for fitment.
You may or may not wish to make a donation to the Repair Café for providing this free community facility, that is your choice. Donations to cover the costs of hiring the hall and various other expenses will be most welcome and buckets are located at the reception area or elsewhere.
Q Does Goring Repair Café dispose of faulty products?
We do not dispose of faulty products and the product owners are responsible for the removal of all items that cannot be repaired.
If a product is no longer required then we recommend that it is taken to an approved recycling centre or local authority waste management centre for disposal. However, the Repair Cafe may, on occasion, accept gifts of good quality and serviceable products to sell at future events to help fund the expenses of the Repair Cafe and/or provide an enhanced service. In the event of a good, but unwanted, product is available for donation, please contact the coordinator.
Q Do you carry out a PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) safety test on electrical products?
We have a PAT machine available that can be used by one of our electrical repair volunteers who can carry out a general inspection and test to check the electrical safety of mains powered electrical devices.
(If you are unsure whether an electrical item is safe you should stop using it immediately, ensure it is unplugged from the mains supply and have the item checked by a competent electrician).
Q Will my item be repaired on the day?
Generally we will endeavour to repair your item while you wait, or during the time we are open. Occasionally an item may require gluing (needing to be clamped and left to dry) or needs a component that is not readily available. Some repairers will offer to take an item to their workshop for repair and collection at a later date.
Q Do your repairs come with any type of warrantee?
Goring Repair Cafe and the individual volunteer Repairers offer no guarantee or warranty for any repairs carried out during the repair sessions and are not liable if any repaired items do not work properly at home or break down again in the future.
This point is made in the ‘House Rules’ which you agree to when signing the Registration Form when you first arrive at reception.
Click here to read the Rules
Q Is there wheelchair access to the Repair Cafe?
Yes, at the entrance to the Belleme Room to the left of the main village hall entrance.
Many product owners have attended using a wheelchair and if you need any additional assistance please speak to one of our volunteers outside or inside. When you enter the Belleme Room, which is used only for refreshments, someone will help direct you to the check-in reception area which is just inside main entrance to village hall.
Q Is there any car parking outside Goring Village Hall?
Usually not, but we will try to accommodate Blue Badge Holders if possible, in the limited area available. We should also be able find a parking spot for people arriving in a mobility scooter. A volunteer, who is usually outside the hall, may be able to suggest the nearest parking bays to the village hall or to main Wheel Orchard car park (entrance is in Station Road by the Catherine Wheel pub).
Q What sort of products can I bring for repair?
You can bring along most household products, eg toasters, food mixers, coffee makers, kettles, vacuum cleaners, clocks, hairdryers, electric heaters, lamps & fans etc. Other products include; bicycles, buggies, items of clothing, textiles, radios, Hi-Fi equipment, speakers, garden tools & machinery eg: strimmers, hedge cutters & mowers. Small tables & chairs, sewing machines, toys, dolls, power tools, laptop computers, mobile phones, ornaments & decorative and musical boxes to name but a few!
Q What shouldn’t we bring in?
Large items which cannot be carried in by one person. A good guide is that the product should not be larger than a piece of airline carry-on luggage. If you are in doubt or have something unusual, please contact us using the FIND US page
Products we can’t handle include ‘white goods’ eg washing machines, tumble dryers & fridges etc. Also, we not undertake repairs on industrial devices, 3 phase power tools or products that could present a hazard to repairers such as those known to contain or be made from asbestos or other hazardous materials.
NB: ‘Alterations’ to clothing or textiles, eg curtains etc, are not undertaken, just ‘repairs’.
Q How many faulty items may I bring in?
You may bring up to 2 products for repair. However, each product needs to be booked in individually at the reception desk. When we are busy you may need to wait once checked in for a suitable volunteer repairer to become available to make an assessment and attempt the repair of your item. Please be aware that if you bring 2 items then you may have to queue twice unless there is no-one else waiting.
Q What is the process when I arrive at the Repair Cafe?
On arrival you are asked to check in at our reception desk to register your product(s) and complete a simple Registration & Consent Form for each one. We have 2 Forms which are very similar, one for registering electrical items and a variant for non-electrical ones (marked with an E or NE respectively). Click to see the Registration Forms.
As you will see on the forms, it requires you signing it to consenting to our ‘House Rules’, which are fairly standard at all Repair Cafes or similar organisations. These rules will be printed on an A3 display board at or near the reception desk(s). Click here to read the Rules
Once completed you will either be directed with your item to a suitable repairer or be asked to wait in the Belleme Cafe until one becomes available. Once a repairer becomes free, a volunteers will advise you and usually take you along to the appropriate work station where the Repairer will discuss the fault with you. You are encouraged to sit at the repair station whilst your product is being diagnosed and repaired. We actively encourage visitors to discuss with their repairer what is being done, as you may be able to use this knowledge to help rectify or prevent the same problem occurring in future.
Q Do I need to bring the lead/charger/batteries with me for electrical or electronic products?
Yes, please bring anything the repairer may need in order to power the item up and attempt a diagnosis of the fault and then test it afterwards.
Q Do you charge for carrying out repairs or do we give a donation?
Goring Repair Café does not make any charges to look at and attempt the repair of product or giving advice. Everyone helping on the day, both the Repairers and other helpers, are volunteers and do not charge for their time.
If spare parts or materials are needed to carry out the repair and you agree to this, then you are expected to pay for these items. If spare parts are needed normally what happens is that the repairer will identify the part number etc and will ask you to purchase the parts yourself and bring these along to a future Repair Café for fitment.
You may or may not wish to make a donation to the Repair Café for providing this free community facility, that is your choice. Donations to cover the costs of hiring the hall and various other expenses will be most welcome and buckets are located at the reception area or elsewhere.
Q Does Goring Repair Café dispose of faulty products?
We do not dispose of faulty products and the product owners are responsible for the removal of all items that cannot be repaired.
If a product is no longer required then we recommend that it is taken to an approved recycling centre or local authority waste management centre for disposal. However, the Repair Cafe may, on occasion, accept gifts of good quality and serviceable products to sell at future events to help fund the expenses of the Repair Cafe and/or provide an enhanced service. In the event of a good, but unwanted, product is available for donation, please contact the coordinator.
Q Do you carry out a PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) safety test on electrical products?
We have a PAT machine available that can be used by one of our electrical repair volunteers who can carry out a general inspection and test to check the electrical safety of mains powered electrical devices.
(If you are unsure whether an electrical item is safe you should stop using it immediately, ensure it is unplugged from the mains supply and have the item checked by a competent electrician).
Q Will my item be repaired on the day?
Generally we will endeavour to repair your item while you wait, or during the time we are open. Occasionally an item may require gluing (needing to be clamped and left to dry) or needs a component that is not readily available. Some repairers will offer to take an item to their workshop for repair and collection at a later date.
Q Do your repairs come with any type of warrantee?
Goring Repair Cafe and the individual volunteer Repairers offer no guarantee or warranty for any repairs carried out during the repair sessions and are not liable if any repaired items do not work properly at home or break down again in the future.
This point is made in the ‘House Rules’ which you agree to when signing the Registration Form when you first arrive at reception.
Click here to read the Rules
Q Is there wheelchair access to the Repair Cafe?
Yes, at the entrance to the Belleme Room to the left of the main village hall entrance.
Many product owners have attended using a wheelchair and if you need any additional assistance please speak to one of our volunteers outside or inside. When you enter the Belleme Room, which is used only for refreshments, someone will help direct you to the check-in reception area which is just inside main entrance to village hall.
Q Is there any car parking outside Goring Village Hall?
Usually not, but we will try to accommodate Blue Badge Holders if possible, in the limited area available. We should also be able find a parking spot for people arriving in a mobility scooter. A volunteer, who is usually outside the hall, may be able to suggest the nearest parking bays to the village hall or to main Wheel Orchard car park (entrance is in Station Road by the Catherine Wheel pub).
Self Help Repair Guides
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iFixit - Comprehensive site with thousands of repair manuals
Apple - Manuals for all Apple products, including iPhones and laptops.
iDoc - Self-repair of Samsung mobile phones
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