Repair Café Lucerne: Fix it up, don't throw it out.
Luzern
Year-round
Environment
Both the Neubad and Bourbaki Repair Cafés in Lucerne are booming. Volunteer repair teams are looking for people who are good with their hands, no matter if they're already employed or retired. Are you good at fixing broken things such as electrical devices, gadgets, textiles, mechanical appliances, toys, jewelry and the like? Are you a people person keen on promoting sustainability? Then you've come to the right place! Our dynamic repair café team needs your help. Here's how it works: Visitors bring in their broken items and get to work fixing it in the repair café with the help of an expert. Tools and material are on hand to repair all sorts of gizmos. And on top of that you can talk shop over some coffee and cake.
How it will work:
09:00 a.m.: Welcome and introduction, set up worktables together
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Repair broken items with visitors at your own worktable
From 2:00 p.m.: Joint dismantling and review of lessons learned
Free food / drink vouchers
Whatever has been put in the donation box is divided up among all the experts at the end of the day
Last: Group sit-down (voluntary)
Introduction and support:
given by host Christoph Notter with the assistance of expert colleagues.
Tasks:
- Working with visitors to repair their broken electrical/mechanical equipment and textiles
- Each expert repairs around 4 to 6 items per day
- You will briefly explain to the visitor what's being repaired and how
- Stimulate visitors' interest and give them the confidence to try repairing something themselves (“Teach a Man to Fish” approach) rather than throwing it out.
- Requirements:
- Broad technical knowledge of how to repair a variety of everyday items (vacuum cleaners, lamps, jeans, jewelry, etc.)
- Able to carry out repairs safely and flawlessly
- Pleasure in contact with people of all ages from all social backgrounds
Project language:
German
Project language
German
Some people have broken things, others are good at fixing them: repair cafés bring both of them together. Volunteer experts help to repair everyday objects that would otherwise end up at the garbage dump. The first repair café was held in Lucerne in 2015. For two weeks every month since 2018, the Neubad Bistro and the Bourbaki Cinema/Bar are abuzz with the sounds of sewing, hammering, and sawing. Volunteers and visitors get together to fix up electrical devices and gadgets (household appliances, lamps, PCs, etc.), clothing, curtains, jewelry, toys and bikes.