Our Repair Cafe is launching as a weekly event starting 26th April at The Full Circle Collective, a circular economy hub located at 437 Hunter Street. The space is fully equipped with benches, a basic sewing machine, a heavy-duty sewing machine and overlocker, as well as a selection of tools and consumables to facilitate clothing and textile repairs or alterations. We have enlisted the skills of a local sewist and are actively working to enlist repairers who specialise in small electronics, furniture, and toy repairs to further expand the initiative. We have also secured funding to pay for their services.

This initiative is grounded in the principles of circular economy, offering the community free repair services to extend the life of their belongings and reduce waste. It’s more than just fixing—it’s about education and empowerment. By encouraging attendees to participate in the repair process, our repairers will be giving them hands-on experience and the opportunity to gain skills in mending and upcycling, while promoting and nurturing a culture of reuse and resourcefulness across the community.

To make our weekly Repair Cafes even more engaging, we plan to introduce screen printing as a creative way to upcycle or repurpose damaged items. Using an Australian-made, sustainability-focused DIY screen-printing kit, participants will have the opportunity to refresh stained or worn-out textiles with new, personalised designs. To enhance this activity, we are wanting to purchase a Cricut cutter, allowing for intricate stencil designs that can be used again and again. Additionally, we will assemble a more comprehensive repair kit to make available to all community members to further support their repair and upcycling journeys.

This project is a step towards building a more sustainable and engaged community—reducing waste while fostering creativity, collaboration, and eco-conscious living.