Repair Cafe
Every year, tonnes of repairable appliances, clothes and furniture go to landfill. Our Repair Cafe brings local people together to mend them, reduce waste and share skills.
Every 3rd Saturday of the month
What We Do
Fix stuff – volunteer electricians, stitchers, wood‑workers and general tinkerers help visitors diagnose faults and repair almost anything that can be carried through the door*.
Skill‑share – you don’t just drop off an item; sit alongside a fixer, ask questions and pick up techniques so you can try the next repair yourself.
Advise - on how best to use your belongings, saving you time and effort. Our fixers can often show you how to maintain your items so they last longer. We also advise on how to dispose of them when they cannot be repaired.
Capture data for the Right to Repair – each job is logged and added to the UK‑wide Fixometer database, strengthening national campaigns for spare‑part access and repair manuals.
Brew & chat – it’s a café too! While you wait, grab a cuppa and talk with neighbours who care about making things last
*We are unable to repair white goods or microwaves. There is a limit of 2 items that can be brought for sharpening.
How to get involved
Bring your broken items to our repair cafe
Our repair volunteers will try to fix your item and show you how to maintain it going forward.
Volunteer with us
If you’re handy with a screwdriver, or can help coordinate visitors, volunteer and help us save items from going to landfill. People willing to learn PAT testing also welcome.
Donate
Donate tools, materials or money to support our continued work.
How Repair Cafe works
This graphic shows the journey of your item at our Repair Cafe from start to finish. To get the most from your visit, bear in mind the following:
✅ DO:
Check your warranty: If your item is still under guarantee, you may be entitled to a free repair, replacement or refund. Citizens Advice has helpful guidance on this.
Bring the essentials: Include any leads, chargers, batteries, lightbulbs, tapes, matching buttons or other parts that will help us test your item properly.
Arrive in good time: We take our last repairs at 12.15pm, and some fixes—like those involving glue—need time to set.
Stay involved: Our aim is to help you learn something about repairing, not just to fix things for you. You're welcome to ask questions, watch the repair and get stuck in.
If you’re unsure: You can contact us at repairs@transitionchesterfield.org.uk with information about your item e.g. make & model and perhaps a photo. We'll try to advise if it’s worth bringing along, but sometimes we can’t tell without looking at it on the day.
Bring glasses if needed to read our house rules and disclaimer.
❌ DON’T
Expect every repair to succeed. We fix just over half of the items we see—some can't be repaired on the day, but you’ll still leave better informed.
Assume we’ll have spare parts. Often we help diagnose the issue, then ask you to return with the part so we can help with fitting.
Bring multiple items and expect them all to be seen. To make it fair for everyone, we may limit to one item per person during busy sessions.
Bring a microwave or white goods. For safety reasons, we don’t repair these.
Where to find us
For our next Repair Cafe date see our Events Calendar.
Repair Cafes are held on the 3rd Saturday of the month, 10am - 1pm, but last orders by 12.15pm please!
Chesterfield Baptist Church
15 Cross Street
Chesterfield
S40 4ST
Nearest bus stops:
Other Repair Cafes in Derbyshire
If you can’t make our Repair Cafe, there are over 20 others across Derbyshire, including in Old Whittington, Bolsover and Tupton. A full list can be found here.
Useful links
General Sewing Machine Maintenance - Video with hints and tips on keeping your sewing machine working properly with Jane Woodbridge at Cre@te Studios.
Sewing threads - A 3 minute video guide to thread and their uses, with Jane Woodbridge at Cre@te Studios.
A Library of Things for Chesterfield? Notes of a discussion held about possibly launching a Library of Things. For more information, contact borrow@transitionchesterfield.org.uk
For free bike repairs in Chesterfield see Dr Bike Workshops at Inclusive Pedals.
Find out more about the Right to Repair campaign at repair.eu
Get in touch
Contact our volunteers at:
repairs@transitionchesterfield.org.uk