The Wangaratta Repair Café will celebrate its eighth anniversary this weekend, alongside International Repair Day, marking nearly a decade of community-driven sustainability and waste reduction.

Founded by a group of passionate locals in 2017, the Repair Café has become a fixture in the community, offering repairs for everything from garden tools and electronics to textiles.

The initiative aims to reduce landfill waste, promote the right to repair and foster a culture of reuse.

Gillian Anderson said they started the initiative in response to many appliances being made cheaply and in a way that makes them unrepairable or too expensive to repair.

“We live in a very wasteful world,” she said.

“We’re using available resources so fast and then throwing them away unnecessarily.

“A lot of these resources are finite, and some are becoming harder to find.

“Space in landfill is running out and it’s getting very expensive to dispose of the waste.”

The Repair Café operates on a donation basis, with volunteers offering their time and skills to fix items that might otherwise be discarded.

“There’s a lot of satisfaction in repairing items and seeing people take them home to keep using,” Gillian said.

“We don’t charge a repair fee, just ask for a donation to help with costs.”

While the café has seen strong community support, the team is eager to expand its reach.

“We’d love to spread the word further and get more people bringing their repairs,” Gillian said.

"We do have a lot of 'regulars' who bring their garden tools for sharpening, electronics and textiles for repair, but always have time to do more."

With several volunteers having moved away, the café is actively seeking new helpers.

“Experienced or willing to learn, we welcome any helpers,” Gillian said.

“It’s only four hours once a month, on the third Sunday from 8am to 12pm.”

The Wangaratta Repair Café will be fixing items at the Wangaratta Community Market this Sunday, 19 October from 8am to 12pm.

Locals are encouraged to bring their broken items, learn about repair, and join the movement toward a more sustainable future.

For more information or to get involved, contact the team at fixit@wangrepaircafe.org or visit their Facebook page.