A Salford repair cafe is booming as residents turn to skilled volunteers to help them make ends meet.
Every first Saturday of the month Boothstown Village Hall transforms into one of the UK’s 121 repair cafes, founded in 2019 by local software developed Chris Blood, 63, who has since saved hundreds of items from landfill.
The repair cafe helps residents repair rather than pay to replace everything from vacuum cleaners to a 1970s radiogram and everything inbetween.
Chris says: “It’s very much a social thing as well as an economic reason to continue.
“People obviously need this.”
Chris praised people for trying to repair their goods.
“If you don’t make it any better, it’s going in the bin; if you do make it better, I’m better off, I’ve had a free repair or a low-cost repair. People are very good like that,” he continued.
Users of the service pay what they can for the repairs and since its launch, the initiative has donated funds to Boothstown Youth Club, Salford Women’s Aid and Astley Youth Band.

“I got a grant to help with the initial set-up of it, but ever since then, we’ve been self-funded,” he said.
“I don’t know if we’re lucky or we’re just doing a great job, but we get enough money to cover our running costs every month and at the end of the year we’ll make donations to local charities,” he continued.
The village hall does not charge rent but the cafe donated £360 last year.
Chris originally launched the cafe after realising that the closest repair hub was in Chorlton.
He said: “The reason we’re volunteering is because we’re handy people and we like to help. Most of us can turn our hand to almost anything,”

They never know what they are going to get. Household appliances are the most common but there can be surprises.
A clown doll still haunts him to this day.
“I don’t know how they sold it as a toy because it scared the living bejesus out of me,” he joked.
The clown doll
Chris said: “It was something I was interested in – helping. I was going to volunteer at some of the others. But for us in Boothstown, we haven’t got a great public transport set up. This is a big area in Boothstown, a lot of people here, not all of them have cars, not all of them know about repair cafes. The reason I did it was for the environment, and I thought it could benefit the community. I’ve got a space here, so why not do it?”
Over the years, more appliances have casings made of plastic, which is difficult to fix and can be more effort than the item is worth but it still challenges the throwaway culture.
“In terms of tons of CO2 emissions, it’s far better to repair something, even if it’s not as efficient. An old kettle might not be as efficient as a modern kettle, but the CO2 that’s emitted from the manufacturing and distribution of the new one and the destruction of the old one, is way more than you would generate from just using the old kettle,” Chris explained.
Resident Rachel Lunn said in a Facebook post: “A huge thank you to Chris for fixing my kitchen scales! So interesting and useful, I’d thoroughly recommend visiting a repair cafe”.
Fellow customer Andy Jones also stated: “Lovely people doing a great service to the community. They are very welcoming and very helpful, having repaired several things for me.”

Since Covid and the cost of living crisis, the cafe has gone from strength to strength.
“We’ve certainly not gotten quieter,” he said. “We’re still just as popular as ever.”
Chris argues that repairing and reusing damaged goods should be a central priority in tackling climate change.
“People often come in and say it’s a great idea, that they hadn’t heard of it before, or that we’re doing a brilliant job,” Chris explained.
“It’s the people we see, month in month out, who come along with things to be repaired, or to just come along for a cup of coffee, a slice of cake and a chat with a friend.”
Andrew Hill also commented on its socials: “Friendly welcoming atmosphere. Lovely refreshments while you wait. knowledgeable and helpful repairers. Thoroughly recommend and we will be back.”
The next event will take place on November 1 (first Saturday of every month) at Boothstown Village Hall between 9.30 am and 11.30 am on Vicars Hall Lane, M28 1JF.

The Boothstown Repair Cafe is back monthly after having to shut temporarily in August for a new floor.
For more visit their Facebook page here.
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