What is Maidstone CAN’s range of activities?
Currently we do Repair Cafe, Maidstone CAN Chat, Maidstone West Station Adoption, Litter Pick but we are always open to new ideas. Our calendar of events is here: Calendar
How is the group funded?
We are a fully voluntary group so all of our funding comes from donations at events like the Repair Cafe and from grants which we apply for from time to time. At our annual AGM we report on our financial situation. Anybody who is on our mailing list gets notice of or meetings. You can sign up here: Take Action
How is the group constituted?
We are a community association with a constitution, bank account, committee structure and an annual AGM. Our formal documents are on the website here: Governance
How does a Repair Cafe work?
1st Saturday of most months. See Repair Cafe , Facebook .
There is no need to book, arrive between 10:00am and 13:00pm. We close the doors at 14:00pm.
You register your repair at Triage, we allocate a repair cafe volunteer to your item.
We do not charge for the service, but donations are gratefully received to cover hire of the building and other event management expenses as well as the wider work of Maidstone Climate Action Network.
Refreshments are available on site during your repair, there are always climate stands that you can browse or you work with the repairer to fix the item.
Is Maidstone CAN a pressure group?
No. The group’s constitution says the purpose of Maidstone CAN is to work on:
- Climate (and environmental) initiatives in Maidstone.
- By helping to make Action happen locally.
- Through a broad Network of local people and groups collaborating together.
We aim to encourage and motivate everyone in Maidstone to respond to and mitigate climate change, and to support the health of the environment on which we all depend. To achieve this, we may apply pressure where necessary. However, our approach is rooted in the community: working positively with people to make changes that they genuinely want to make. A further description of this point is documented here: Link.
What items can I bring for repair?
At the Repair Café, you can bring small electrical appliances, clothing, furniture, tableware, utensils, bicycles, toys, etc. Anything broken (and that you can transport to the Repair Café yourself) is welcome and has a chance of being repaired. If your item is unusual you can check a repairer will be available to handle your broken item, please contact us on our Facebook page (Maidstone CAN) or by email: maidstonecan@gmail.com
I don’t have any items to fix, how can I still help MaidstoneCAN/ the Repair Cafe?
You don’t have to just come for items to repair, you can just come to say hi! This year, we are also holding themes with each repair cafe, so there will be new people to meet, information to learn and things to discover. So make sure to check them out!
- We’d also love you to follow us on social media and share our posts – it helps get the word out!
- We also welcome donations as they enable us to keep going and organise more/better events, etc.
- Why not join us as volunteers? Even if you don’t have any particular ‘skill’, we always need lovely people to join us to welcome visitors, set up tables etc
How do I get to the Maidstone Repair Cafe?
The Lockmeadow Market Hall is easily accessible either by car, foot, bus or train. Maidstone West is the most local train station. There is a bus stop on London Road, only a few minutes walk to the Repair Cafe. There is a big car park on-site, and the town centre is a 10-minutes walk away.
I have a broken washing machine/armchair, that’s too heavy to bring to the Repair Cafe. Do you do home repairs?
No, not as part of the Repair Café as we are not a handyman service, but a meeting place where people can repair their things together. However, during a visit to a Repair Café in your neighborhood, you can contact one of the repairers on hand and ask your question. Who knows, someone might be happy to help you. WE also have a list of specialist repairers on the website: https://www.maidstonecan.eco/what-we-do/repair-cafe
How much do repairs cost?
To make it as accessible as possible for visitors, the advice and assistance from the experts at the Repair Café is free. However, a voluntary contribution is appreciated! The Repair Café has donation jars on the tables where satisfied visitors can make their contributions. These donations help us cover our costs.
Do I have to register or book to attend the Repair Cafe?
No, you don’t! Just come on the day, during our opening hours (usually 10am-2pm) and we’ll look after you. There may be a little wait, depending on how busy our repairers are, but it shouldn’t be too long. There is a cafe on site for you to grab a drink or a bite to eat.
I’m not local to you, how can I find my local Repair Cafe?
Go to repaircafe.org for a full list of Repair Cafe. You can find an overview of all Repair Cafés there.
I want my kids to take part to the Repair Cafe, is that possible?
If your child is 10-14 years old, we hold Team Repair sessions. You can read more here: https://www.maidstonecan.eco/what-we-do/team-repair Bookings can be made on the website via this link.
Otherwise, if your child is old enough for the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, they could join us as a volunteer and learn new skills! Get in touch with us on maidstonecan@gmail.com
Do you repair phone screens?
Unfortunately we don’t, sorry. You’ll have to go to one of the shops in town that does it. Where there are existing companies who specialise in particular repairs we tend to encourage people to use them so that their business can be maintained.
If I join you as a volunteer, will I get paid?
No, we are a group of volunteers aiming to help the planet one repair at a time. We find our volunteers get a great deal of satisfaction from what they do and we supply refreshments, biscuits and sometimes cake.
I love this community, how else can I support or join you?
We hold other events in the year, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter Take Action or follow us on social media.
What are the donations used for?
Donations at the Repair Cafe pay for the hire of the hall, public liability insurance, repair kits for the Team Repair events we do and materials we use at the cafe. Our finance is carefully managed by the committee and reported on annually at our AGM. This is an open meeting. If you want to be kept informed about our events please sign up to our mailing list, link here: Take Action