Plans for a Repair Café, Town Shed and Toolbank in Ramsgate

Do you have woodworking skills? Can you turn a hem, fix a broken phone or mend a punctured bike tyre? Do you have tools in the shed gathering rust?

Ramsgate Town Council is hoping to launch some new initiatives in 2024 and we need your help!

• If you’re a skilled woodworker – or if you’ve always wanted to learn but never had the time – would you be interested in joining a Town Shed to use, develop or build up your woodworking skills? Other towns and villages from Broadstairs to Birchington have Town Sheds, but Ramsgate hasn’t - until now! So we’re interested in hearing from possible founder members! We don’t have regular premises (yet) so this will be a pop-up in an existing building while we see what interest there is.
• If you have repair skills in any field (basic level only – nothing complicated) and would be willing to help others learn, could you spare a little time occasionally to help at a Repair Café, helping people learn to do simple repairs to their broken items? A Repair Café is a little like the Repair Shop on TV, but it’s a pop-up run by volunteers who help residents do simple repairs themselves – and for trickier repairs, refer them to one of the excellent repair shops we have in town!
• Or if you have tools of any kind you don’t use, would you be willing to donate them to our Toolbank to share with other residents?

If you have skills or expertise and could spare an hour or two each month to volunteer, or if you’re interested in learning woodworking skills, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Your valuable time and contribution could make a big difference, helping other residents build skills, save money and live more sustainably.

Please reach out to us at info@ramsgatetown.org, or give Councillor Tricia Austin a call on 07775 794408, to discuss how you can get involved. Together, we can make a positive impact and foster a culture of repair and reuse in our community.

UK Repair & Reuse Declaration: A Call for Action
The UK has launched a Repair & Reuse Declaration which garnered strong backing within just two weeks of its launch, including the endorsement of five diverse Members of Parliament.

The Declaration is about changing out throwaway culture and going back to products that are made to last and that can be repaired if they break. It’s about reviving the culture many of us grew up with – a culture that values long life in products and promotes sustainable practices for several reasons: to help people save money, to reduce waste and save resources, and to achieve a more environmentally conscious future. People who support the Declaration are encouraged to contact their MPs to urge them to do their bit to support repair and reuse as a strategy for living.

Read the UK Repair and Reuse Declaration by clicking the link: https://repairreusedeclaration.uk/

Written by:
Councillor Tricia Austin, Central Harbour Ward