Friends of the Farm Māngere Bridge celebrated International Repair Day on 17 October 2026 with a Repair Cafe, along with 7 other community groups thoughout Aotearoa New Zealand who had also organised one for their community.
The 14th Repair Cafe at the Māngere Bridge Library was off to a good start with a full complement of skilled people and volunteer helpers.
Electricians, tech experts, bike mechanic, handymen, darning and sewing experts were kept busy and repaired 45 items out of 77 items presented. That’s a 58% success rate, plus another 25 items were repairable, but needed parts etc. Electrical and sewing were the busiest again!
Air fryers, a toasted sandwich machine, lamps, food mixers, jackets, shorts, belts and valued toys were some of the items brought for repair. Where they couldn’t be repaired on the spot, advice was given on where to go for help.
Locals Gill and Helen commented,”What an excellent community service. Its satisfying to get an appliance repaired and kept out of the waste stream. And we got a cuppa and home baked biscuit too.”
The volunteers appreciated the free coffees provided by local cafe Phnom Penh. “Thanks Phnom Penh for this treat. It gives us a boost”.
Bike mechanic Luke from Duke Cycles did a marvelous job on an e-bike. ” Not only did he adjust the gears so they changed smoothly, he identified and fixed an annoying ‘whup, whup ‘ noise caused by a loose reflector’ said local Paul. ‘I’m delighted!”
Repair Cafes – every fix is a win for the planet…..and your pocket!
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Māngere Bridge Repair Café #9 was so fine!
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