Report by Phoebe Cox

(Courtesy of Mansfield Chad)

A man from Church Warsop has opened the area’s first registered repair café, connecting it to a network of community fixers.

The initiative invites residents to bring in items for repair and restoration.

Nathan Culkin learned about the concept of a community repair network a few years ago and was eager to implement it locally.

The Community Repair Network originated from discussions at Fixfest UK 2020, starting as informal conversations among repair groups and local networks during the pandemic.

The network’s ethos promotes sharing knowledge and resources, connecting existing groups and individuals who want to start their own initiatives, and coming together as a united voice to advocate for repair.

The repair café, based at Vibrant Warsop on Portland Street, is the first of its kind in the Mansfield district. It has been made possible through funding from Warsop Rolo and Nathan’s colleagues at Vibrant Warsop.

Nathan, through his work at Vibrant Warsop, is actively involved with various community groups in the area and believed there would be significant interest in the concept, as he observed that people in the community were often willing to help one another.

“I have always enjoyed tinkering about with odd jobs and restoring items,” he said.

“When I first heard about the network, I felt it could work in our area.

“The launch was great, as we had all sorts of items through the door like clothing, electrical appliances and even a teddy bear.”

The Community Repair Network aims to strengthen and support grassroots repair initiatives in the UK.

Nathan added: “We are eager to expand our skillset and involve more people so that we can help repair and restore a wide variety of items.

“If our group is unable to assist, we can direct you to the appropriate support channels. You can reach out to us beforehand or simply show up on the day.”

For details about the monthly service, call Nathan at 07916 055079 or email him at [email protected]

Vibrant Warsop is officially registered with the network, alongside neighbouring groups in Sutton and Chesterfield. To find your nearest café, go to communityrepairnetwork.org.uk/find