Repair Cafes at Grey Lynn
Auckland's repair café movement is flourishing. offering a vital community service that champions repair over disposal.
Grey Lynn 2030 has played a pivotal role in this growth, notably incubating the Auckland Library of Tools for many years. We had some of the earliest repair cafes. We very much liked the Dutch movement that Repair Cafes are based on and copied it here.
Auckland's Repair Café Movement:
Brigitte Sistig, a former Grey Lynn 2030 board member and community activator, has become a driving force behind this movement.
In 2021, she co-founded Repair Café Aotearoa New Zealand, launched the "Make it our Right to Repair" petition (which lead to new legislation after reaching then-Environment Minister David Parker), and established Repair Network Aotearoa, a charitable trust dedicated to fostering a robust repair culture.
“Repair Cafés are powerful tools for consumer education,” Sistig explains. “By offering repair solutions, they promote understanding of product lifecycles and the issue of planned obsolescence. Successfully repairing an item also boosts self-esteem and resourcefulness.”
How Repair Cafés Work:
- Free Repairs (Koha Appreciated): Skilled volunteers offer free repairs, with donations (koha) welcomed to cover operational costs.
- Volunteer-Powered: Volunteers with expertise in electronics, sewing, woodworking, and general repairs are essential.
- Community Hubs: They serve as social spaces, fostering connection and skill-sharing.
Key Organisations in Waitemata
- Auckland Library of Tools:
- Offers a "Repair and Share" program.
- Check the website for event schedules.
- Doughnut Economics (DEANZ):
- Organises repair cafés across Auckland.
- Regular events at Unitarian Church (1A Ponsonby Rd, Grey Lynn) on the second Saturday of each month, 11 am to 2 pm.
- For details, visit repaircafe.doughnuteconomicsnz.com/locations-and-events or their active Facebook page.
- Repair Café Aotearoa NZ (RCANZ):
- Founded in late 2020, RCANZ has driven significant growth, expanding from approximately 15 to over 75 repair cafés nationwide in three years.
- www.repaircafeaotearoa.co.nz
- Repair Network Aotearoa:
- Charitable trust dedicated to cultivating a robust repair culture.
- Website :
Repair Cafes
Local Repair initiatives
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