Friends of the Farm (FOF) Māngere Bridge aims to create a ‘caring, connected, waste wise community. We saw this in practice at the Winter Repair Café at the Māngere Bridge Library. The Library is a welcoming space in our community – warm in winter and cool in summer. One thing that doesn’t change with the seasons is the warm friendly helpful staff.
Connections are made at events like the Repair Café (RC). The Repair Café aims to repair broken or damaged goods, which reduces waste, saves the environment, and saves the pocket too. They are also a great avenue to unite people in this common purpose.
Local Yvonne was one of the volunteers, helping out by darning holey garments. She came along to a FOF sewing bee earlier this year and was interested to hear about the community garden working bees, Repair Café, tree plantings, and the Mātariki Lantern Walk. The reducing waste ethos appeals to her and she enjoys working towards this shared goal. She also managed to persuade one of the RC customers (who was waiting for some sewing to be done) to help out with some darning for another customer.
The partner of one of our IT volunteers was interested to hear about the Library school holiday ‘Learn to Knit and Crochet‘ programme and came along to this to help out as a tutor. Another local came along to have her food mixer fixed and has volunteered to do home baking for future FOF events.
The Library runs a weekly knitting group which has quickly turned into a general craft group, with people doing crochet, needlework, dry felting, and knitting. Some people come along to learn and the experienced people are happy to share their skills and knowledge. The group meets every Thursday from 2-4pm and the third Saturday of the month from 2-4pm. Earlier this year the group sent 52 beanies of all shapes, sizes and colours to the NZ Brain Tumour Support Trust. They are currently making handmade items to send to the volunteers at Waitakere Hospital. FOF members Marie and Robyn attend regularly. They say the group is always interesting and lively and the chat often touches on reducing waste and recycling. Two people who got to know each other through the knitting group now regularly play pickleball together. Library users often stop to chat with the group and share their own stories about crafts.
Whether it’s a three-per-year event like the Repair Café or a weekly craft group, sharing skills and information, providing skilled repair services, donating yarn and needles, making connections, it’s all about Māngere Bridge and creating a caring, connected, waste wise community.
