About Me

I’m Hayley, an Administration Assistant under the Youth for Climate and Nature scheme at the New Forest National Park Authority (NPA). I work on projects such as the New Forest Youth Board and Green Groups, supporting young people and communities in taking climate and nature action.

My Visit to Ringwood Repair Café

On Saturday 8 November 2025, I attended the Ringwood Repair Café at Greyfriars Community Centre. From the moment I walked in, the energy was electric, full of chatter, laughter, and the gentle hum of conversation over coffee and screwdrivers. The sense of community spirit was palpable and joyous to witness.

Every corner of the room seemed alive with purpose. Repairers leaned over tables with their toolkits; residents waited patiently with everything from lamps to hedge trimmers; volunteers had energy that makes sustainability feel tangible and personal.

About Ringwood Repair Café

In August, Ringwood Repair Café was awarded Sustainability Champion at the New Forest Awards 2025. These awards are held at the New Forest and Hampshire County Show in partnership with the New Forest NPA and the Country Land and Business Association (CLA).

The repair café is an initiative from Greening Ringwood, supporting waste prevention and a circular economy to enhance sustainability in the area. Since forming just 18 months ago, it has gone from strength to strength, achieving a fleet of successes and a growing local following.

The November repair café saw 33 items brought in for repair, with an estimated replacement value of £2,307. Of those repaired, a collective 103.8kg of household waste was prevented from ending up in landfill. That’s an incredible achievement for just one morning’s work.

News of the café has travelled far and wide. Volunteers and customers come from all over the New Forest and beyond. This month, there was a repairer from Lymington and a customer from Southampton. Everyone is welcome. This café also included a visit from MP Sir Desmond Swayne, there to learn about the café and how this great initiative is creating a wholesome community that grows stronger with each café.

How the repair café works

Around 25 volunteers were present, from repairers to front-of-house helpers. The repair café runs a bit like a doctor’s surgery: there’s a welcome desk and waiting area, a triage where electrical items are PAT-tested for safety, and then the all-important repair stations. Owners are required to stay during their repair to be involved, learn new skills, and pick up tips for next time.

Once the repair is complete, the item is checked out and recorded. If something can’t be fixed, volunteers offer advice on where it might be repaired elsewhere or help ensure it is recycled responsibly if possible. Each item is measured by weight, age and estimated replacement value to record how much waste is saved.

Repairs vary in complexity, some take just a few minutes, while others can run over the two-hour session. In those cases, repairers often take items home to finish and return them at the next café.

Stories from the morning

One of the first items in for repair that morning was a book nook, lovingly crafted as a Christmas gift, but with damaged lighting. The repairer carefully explained the repair process to the owner, recommending the right tools and safety steps for future projects.

Throughout the morning, I saw a variety of items come and go, a bedside light, paper shredder, vinyl record player, hedge trimmer, teapot with a broken lid hinge, a footstool with a loose leg, a doll, jewellery, and even a musical miniature Christmas tree. Each repair told its own small story of care and resourcefulness.

With a one item limit per customer, it is often visited monthly by regulars, bringing in a new item to repair each time. I spoke to one customer, who had brought her childhood toy doll to be repaired, and had been to 10 cafés since it began, each with a new item for repair. There is also no requirement to bring an item for repair. The café is also often frequented by individuals with no repairs, just looking for a safe space to enjoy coffee and cake, with a chance to socialise.

Roger, a volunteer specialising in mechanics and general repairs, shared one of his favourite past projects, a 100-year-old Thames barge model that is currently being restored by members of the team. They are repairing and repainting the wooden body, creating new sails, and fully intend to return it to its owner in beautiful condition.

With around 16 specialist repairers, covering everything from sewing and jewellery to electrics, mechanics, and woodwork, it seems the repair café can tackle almost anything.

Behind the scenes

Andi, a regular volunteer repairer who took on a front-of-house role at this session, has now helped at ten cafés. He’s also working behind the scenes to make the café paperless, further supporting their sustainability goals. It’s a gradual process, helping everyone adjust to the technology, but it promises to make the café even more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Andi spoke of the most common repairs, lamp holders, and the most difficult repair he has come across, an air fryer. He observed that new products and technologies like air fryers aren’t designed to be repaired. They are made for one life and to be thrown away once broken.

The value of the Sustainability Award

Speaking to Lindsay Andrews, the overall Greening Ringwood coordinator, coordinating five themes, of which Ringwood Repair Café is part of the Waste Prevention theme, and Cllr Rae Frederick, Mayor of Ringwood and a long-standing supporter (and volunteer) of the initiative, both reflected on the impact of winning the Sustainability Award.

They explained that recognition has helped build greater trust and awareness within the community, has encouraged more people to bring their items for repair and otherwise get involved. Lindsay spoke passionately about local action, saying:

‘You can’t control what’s going on in the world, the country, or even the county, but you can influence what happens within your community.’ Her words perfectly capture the spirit of the Repair Café: simple, practical action that creates real change close to home, which is the fundamental premise of the Greening Campaign across Hampshire.

Reflections and takeaways

As I left the café, I felt inspired by the people I’d met and the atmosphere I’d been part of. In just two hours, I’d watched neighbours share skills, stories, and laughter, all while preventing waste and learning how to live more sustainably.

The Ringwood Repair Café is about more than fixing broken items; it’s about repairing our relationship with the things we own and with the people around us.

Working with the New Forest National Park Authority and the Youth for Climate and Nature scheme, I see how initiatives like this empower communities to take practical climate action. They show that sustainability doesn’t always need to start big, it can begin with something as small as mending a lamp, tightening a screw, or sharing a skill.

If you have a broken appliance, a wobbly chair, or even just curiosity, I’d encourage you to visit Ringwood Repair Café, or local repair café near you. You might leave with more than you came with, a working item, new knowledge, and a renewed sense of community.

Find out more about Ring Repair Café here: Ringwood Repair Café – Greening Ringwood