Repair Cafe

… where you can bring along your things that need fixing or mending.
Our volunteer fixers and menders are at the Port Phillip EcoCentre on the 2nd Sunday of each month (except January) from 2-5pm.

Preview before you bring it in

You can email the repair cafe (stkilda.repaircafe@gmail.com) with an explanation of the fault including pictures where appropriate, and we’ll give you an idea of whether it’s worth bringing in the item to one of our repair cafe sessions.
If for some reason you can’t email, you could phone John on 9807 9653.

Covid-Safe Policy for the St. Kilda Repair Cafe

IMPORTANT, please note the following:
  • All volunteer fixers will be fully vaccinated.
  • All visitors will need to show the receptionist proof of vaccination to be able to access our assistance. 

If you have genuine medical reasons for not being vaccinated, please contact the co-ordinator, John Hillel directly via stkilda.repaircafe@gmail.com or 03 98079653.

Please do not come to our session if you have chosen not to be vaccinated. We trust you understand that we have an obligation to keep our visitors and our volunteers safe.

Computers, laptops and phones wanted

Bring your unwanted phones,  laptops and computers to the St. Kilda Repair Cafe and our IT experts will wipe all the data to ensure your personal information is safe and then we will donate them to Refugees and Asylum Seekers via Deakin University’s Centre for Refugee Employment, Advocacy, Training and Education (CREATE) program.

NOTE: 

  • Ensure it’s working – we don’t repair phones or computers
  • Please bring power cables/chargers
  • If it’s an iPhone we’ll need your password to reset to factory settings.

For further details contact: stkilda.repaircafe@gmail.com or leave a phone message at (03) 9807 9653

Progress to date - as at March 2022

Since November 2017:

  • 573 items fixed
  • 169 items "almost fixed" (need parts)
  • 1623 kg saved from landfill (which doesn't tell the whole story as this includes a LOT of clothes that don't actually weigh very much!)

On average, our fixers and menders have fixed or ‘almost fixed’ two out of every three items brought in and saved over a tonne of items from landfill!

If you’re interested in helping keep the St Kilda Repair Cafe up and running, or if you have any other questions about it, please contact John Hillel:

fill in the form: on our Get involved page.

Please note:  All our fixers are VOLUNTEERS, and there is no charge made for the fixes they do. However any donations people would like to make are welcomed to help us cover our costs (website, glues & other materials used from time to time.)

Watch for our Repair Cafe dates in 2022

Second Sunday of every month from February:

  • Sunday 12 June
  • Sunday 10 July
  • Sunday 14 August
  • Sunday 11 September
  • Sunday 9 October
  • Sunday 11 November
  • Sunday 11 December

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Follow this link for information about where you can take items for reuse/repurposing/recycling.