Hey! I opened a rollerskate swap and repair shop during lockdowns in my humble shop/art studio, on St Georges Rd Thornbury.
Got an awesome crew together and we accept donations of broken skates, take them apart to rebuild as affordable options for those who can't afford to buy new.
Also offer safety checks and services.
Been running it under the name "Be Kind Roller Skates" for a year now, unfortunately I've been blocked by other big retailers from sourcing supplies, so I cant access wholesale spare parts to continue to repair skates!

The whole idea is to make skating more sustainable and more accessible. Fighting capitalism is hard when I am up against companies that don't want me repairing items as it cuts into their profits!

I've faced bullying and harassment from competitors which is weird, cos I'm just here doing my own thing to help my community. And filling a gap in the market while teaching people about their gear and how to maintain it.