about

Who are we?

Repair Cafe Glasgow was founded in 2017 on the principles of Repair Café International, and built upon the idea that our possessions have lots of life left in them when we maintain and repair them. Doing this together with others builds social cohesion and combats isolation, while helping reduce the size of our landfills.

​It's no secret that as a society we throw away vast amounts of stuff unnecessarily. The majority of our waste still goes into landfill and recycling options are often limited. Many products are intentionally designed with built-in obsolescence so that their useful life is shortened and we're forced to buy new. The knowledge and ability to repair and 'make do and mend' have been lost over the years and valuable practical skills are not being passed down the generations.

It's becoming more and more apparent that our 'throwaway' society, fueled by over-consumption of cheap goods, is totally unsustainable. Repair Cafés are a hands-on way to learn how this attitude fails both people and the planet and to take practical steps to do something about it. Repair Cafés are helping to change attitudes by presenting an innovative approach to waste reduction, social cohesion and the transference of craft skills, through the act of repairing, upgrading and maintaining a broad range of products. Items regularly brought to Repair Cafés include furniture, household electrical appliances, electronic gadgets and devices, toys, garden equipment, bicycles, clocks, jewellery, ceramics, clothes and textiles...and much more!

How did the Repair Café start?

The first Repair Café opened in Amsterdam, Holland  in 2009 and is now a thriving global network of almost 1500 located in 33 countries.  The number in UK has risen to 50 and six of those are operating in Worcestershire;  Malvern, Worcester, Redditch, Bewdley, Evesham and Kidderminster.  The majority of Repair Cafés are based in Europe but can also be found further afield in countries such as South Africa, Egypt, Japan, Australia, and India. New Repair Cafés are opening every week.