Cafe repairs worn goods

Takapuna is the latest Auckland suburb to benefit from a community initiative bringing neighbours together through broken toasters.

The Repair Cafe is a free pop-up event started by Auckland North Community and Development, Takapuna Methodist Church and The Devonport Community Recycling Centre.

Community members can bring along broken or damaged goods like electronics and clothing, and repair experts will volunteer their time to help fix up the goods and share their knowledge with the owners for future fix-it projects.

Coordinator Stephen McLuckie has been a driving force behind the initiative, which draws from the Repair Cafe movement started in Holland in 2009.

‘‘It’s all about bringing people together, sharing skills, saving money and reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfill,’’ McLuckie said.

The first Auckland-based event happened in Bayswater last July, and the movement has now spread across the city.

Auckland Council has invested $40,000 in expanding the project, which McLuckie said would pay for 22 events across Auckland.

❚ The Takapuna Repair Cafe will be held on Saturday, November 11, from 11am to 1pm at the Takapuna Methodist Church, 429 Lake Road.

SUPPLIED A repair expert gets to work to fix up some bikes at the Bayswater Repair Cafe.