The Fix It Café in Darlington has become a small but steady local response to both rising waste and the pressure on household budgets. Run by a family at the heart of the town’s environmental scene, the event brings together volunteer repairers and people with damaged or faulty items for short, practical sessions that can keep goods in use rather than heading to landfill.
How it works
The sessions take place on the last Saturday of every month and last for about two hours. Visitors bring in a wide range of items — from a lopsided lawnmower and a jammed video player to a wonky umbrella or a child’s ripped Spiderman bag — and volunteer fixers attempt to mend them free of charge, though donations are welcomed.
“We like to think we are helping to save the world, stitch by stitch! Single use of resources is an existential threat to the entire planet and Fix It Cafés like ours help to reduce landfill mountains and increase demand for the right to repair.”
The remark comes from organiser Cat McConnachie, who runs the group alongside partner Councillor Matthew Snedker — a local Green Party councillor — and their daughter, Ellie. Volunteers such as Stuart Van Praag, Terry Storey and Beverley Lawson provide the practical skills and enjoy the social aspect of sharing know-how.
Local and wider context
Repair Cafés trace their origins to Amsterdam in 2009, where Dutch journalist Martine Postma organised the first event. Since then the idea has spread internationally and within the North East, with Repair Cafés operating in Darlington, Middlesbrough, Durham, Stokesley, Northallerton, Gateshead and other towns.
- Sessions are volunteer-led and free to users; donations are accepted.
- Events reduce the demand for new goods and the emissions linked to manufacturing and transport.
- They can also bring household savings by avoiding replacement purchases — for example, repairing a kettle rather than buying a new one.
Who benefits
Residents on tight budgets gain a practical way to extend the life of household items, while volunteers benefit from passing on and refreshing practical skills. The model also supports broader environmental goals by lowering single-use consumption and waste.
| Organisers | Notable volunteers |
|---|---|
| Cat McConnachie; Matthew Snedker; Ellie | Stuart Van Praag; Terry Storey; Beverley Lawson |
For anyone interested in attending or offering time as a volunteer, the monthly Fix It Café provides a straightforward, community-driven way to reduce waste, save money and learn practical repair skills.
