MS praises Repair Café initiative

Local Senedd Member, Lee Waters, has visited Llanelli’s new female-only repair café.

Mr. Waters, who is also Deputy Minister for Climate Change, asked if he could visit to hear about the skill-sharing project and its environmental benefits.

The Repair Café is a monthly drop-in centre launched in partnership with Threshold Domestic Abuse Services and held in Llanelli’s John Street.

The service is based on the Repair Café Wales model, where ‘volunteer fixers’ fix small items for people free of charge. Learning opportunities are provided by watching items being fixed in order to learn that repair skill for the future.

Repair Café Llanelli organiser Layla Lucas hopes the repair café will open up a range of Threshold DAS services to other users, including support, free courses, a clothing shop, food bank, and a period poverty bank.

Lee Waters MS said:
“It was a privilege to attend this female-only initiative to see the great work undertaken in the Repair Café. It provides a safe space for women in our local community to learn and develop a range of skills. I’d really like to thank the volunteers for taking the time to pass on their skills to others and helping them.”

Organiser Layla Lucas said:
“This was our second Repair Cafe session in Llanelli, and we had a total of 17 items in for repair. Twelve items were fixed on the day, including a bike, a hairdryer, two hoovers, a mower, two items of clothing and a doll’s house. Three items needed new parts but can be fixed if the parts are sourced, and sadly two items were not repairable. It was our busiest session so far.”

The Llanelli MS added:
“This service also helps us to reduce our environmental impact. Many of these items would have ended up in landfill sites. However, this service is giving a lot of items a new life and purpose.”

The next repair cafe session is on Saturday 15th January 2022 from 10am to 1pm in Threshold DAS, 12-14 John Street, Llanelli, SA15 1UH.