A Twickenham pop-up cafe, that fixes visitors’ items for free, marked its 2,600th successful repair on Saturday when it hosted its first event of 2026.
Twickenham Repair Cafe seeks to stem the flow of consumer goods to landfill by inviting people to have their broken items mended while they enjoy a tea or coffee.
The volunteer-run project — which hosts events at St Margaret’s Church on the third Saturday of each month — boasts a team of around 30 repairers, and fixes items ranging from bikes, electronics, and household appliances, to clothes, furniture, and even mobile phones.
Colin Messenger, one of Twickenham Repair Cafe’s co-founders, explained that most of its repairers have been fixing things their entire lives — and that they take pride in overcoming the planned obsolescence modern manufacturers often built into goods, ensuring they are replaced, rather than repaired.
Messenger said: “We are battling against this all the time, but we normally win.
“Over the four years since we started, we’ve saved about £120,000’s worth of replacement costs. That’s a huge saving for people, and it means products are lasting longer.
“Most of the things we’ve repaired, you could not get repaired anywhere else. There’s nowhere on the high street that does this sort of stuff. It’s a fairly unique service.”
Tim, an 80-year-old repairer, midway through dismantling a lawnmower in order to sharpen its blades, agreed.
He said: “Things like this are cheap and cheerful. Ordinarily you couldn’t fix this because it’s all welded together.
“They want you to buy a new one just because the blades get a bit dull.”
In addition to fixing damaged items, the cafe’s organisers aim to make repair work more accessible; attendees are encouraged to wait and watch as their items are mended, and members of its team frequently visit local schools to teach basic repair skills to children.
Alongside the repairers, another 20 volunteers run the cafe, welcome attendees, direct visitors to the appropriate repair stations, and undertake any other tasks necessary to keep the event running smoothly.
The repair cafe, which has purchased thousands of pounds’ worth of tools in order to meet the ever-changing needs of its visitors, is sustained entirely by donations and income from food and drink sales.
Mary, a retired university lecturer who has been helping in the coffee shop for more than three years, explained that she does it, in part, to help combat the throwaway culture in society today.
She said: “I think it’s feeble. You see people throwing out so many things that are repairable. But I like the idea of this cafe mending things rather than chucking them out — especially household things.
“It’s surprising what people have achieved here. Even when we see something that’s really old and decrepit, there’s always somebody who knows how it works.
“It’s lovely to watch.”
Another cafe volunteer, Frances, added that many volunteers and visitors alike attend Twickenham Repair Cafe for the community that has developed around it.
She said: “We have many people who come regularly, some come along just for the coffee and cakes.
“And a lot of the repairers enjoy the social contact. Some say it’s the highlight of their month.
“The social interaction, and connecting as a team, means a lot.”
Frances’s sentiment was shared by many visitors at that morning’s event.
Saturday was the first time Marvel, a ceramicist and therapist from south west London, had attended Twickenham Repair Cafe, but she was adamant she would return.
She said: “Something like this is wonderful — where you can come and be around other people, have a cup of tea, have a chat. Everyone is very relaxed, and it’s just lovely.
“I’d recommend it to everyone. I’m really glad I came along.”
Similarly, Richard, a teacher from Twickenham who described himself as a ‘returning and very satisfied customer’, explained that he has attended the repair cafe most months for the past several years primarily because of the people he meets there.
He said: “There’s a wonderful energy. And it feels like a throwback to a previous generation; I don’t think we have enough of this kind of community collaboration.
“It’s a wonderful way to start a Saturday morning: the energy, the buzz.”
Richard was there to have his daughter’s netball trophy repaired — ‘top on the podium’ of many items he’d had mended over the years — but emphasised that it is the cafe’s convivial atmosphere that keeps him coming back.
“I feel part of a collective here,” he added. “The greatest benefit of the repair cafe isn’t necessarily the tangible, repaired item itself; it’s the sense of being involved in something which is quite special.
“I feel a real warmth here, and I would encourage anyone to come down and experience that. If you bring an item to repair as well, that’s just an added bonus.”
The next Twickenham Repair Cafe will take place on Saturday 21 February.
Feature image credit: Ajay Smith
Join the discussion