THE workshop where new life is given to the broken and old is coming back to Ludlow.

Ludlow’s next Repair Café will be happening at Rockspring Community Centre on Saturday between 10.00 am and 12.30 pm.

In just 18 months, these events have become firmly established with more people bringing more items each time.

Ludlow now hosts four regular Cafés - in April, July, October and January - alternating between Rockspring Community Centre and the Ludlow Mascall Centre.

The team of volunteer repairers set out their tools, never knowing quite what will arrive at their tables – and they greet each item with enthusiasm and a smile and a willingness to share the repair with the owners, especially if the item is ‘precious’!

“Fifty-plus years ago people mended things which went wrong, or wore out or just weren’t quite working properly, either because money was tight or because they liked the challenge of trying to fix things,” said Dianne Lyle, who runs the events.

“Over time, items became cheaper and more easily replaced and the ‘fixing ethos’ got lost along the way. Now, the importance of not adding to landfill is gaining recognition and the Repair Cafés have developed as a response to that.

“Every item which is fixed at one of these Café events means avoiding landfill – at least for a while; the added value is that owners have saved money by not having to go out and buy new items – at least for a while!”

Repair Cafés are free, but donations are requested to cover the event costs and any surplus is passed to the Ludlow based Furniture Scheme which shares the same ethos.

The idea of repairing the old is something that is catching on all over the country and is in part a response to countering the throw away society as well as saving money.

It has become popular with both environmentalists as well as with amateur engineers looking for things to fix.