Frankston City Council is working with consultants, Let Me Be Frank, to coordinate the delivery of repair events. If you'd like to get involved as a volunteer please email lucy@letmebefrank.com.au

Do you have something in your home that you’re sure can be fixed or repaired, if only you knew how?

Something that has great sentimental value but needs some TLC to restore it to its former glory?

Something you have started to fix but got stuck?

These events will link you to local repair enthusiasts, who will do their best to help you repair your item. If they can’t fix it, they will offer advice. And if it can’t be mended, and you no longer want to hold on to it, we can advise you on the best way to dispose of it to ensure that, where possible, recyclable components are salvaged.

The event will run from 1-4pm. On arrival you will be given an estimated wait time. When a suitable repairer becomes available you can talk to them, and in the meantime you can have a cuppa, connect with community, and increase your knowledge and skills by observing the repairs taking place.

There is plenty of parking available. The Repair Café will be in the large meeting room, which you can enter directly from outside. Keep an eye out for the A-frame.

What can be fixed?

Across the events we'll repair a range of items, from much loved toys, to toasters, bikes to bric a brac, furniture to favourite ornaments, clocks and clothes and much, much more! Repair skills available will rely on the volunteers who generously donate their time. If you think your item needs a special skill please get in touch with Lucy@letmebefrank.com.au to discuss it.

If your item is battery powered or is a lamp we recommend bringing new batteries and/or globes, so that we can test it.

Please note our volunteers will conduct repairs only - not alterations or adjustments. For example hemming a new pair of pants is an alteration not a repair.

Typically we have volunteers with skills in:

Textiles - sewing, darning, knitting, crochet etc
Small appliances and electronics*
Costume jewellery
Gluing and general mending skills
Bikes

The types or repairs on appliances that are likely to be completed include clogged filters, jammed motors or fans, glueing or screwing broken parts.

NB difficult to fix and larger items

Electronic items may require parts. You can bring the item for advice and then purchase the parts, or purchase the necessary parts and bring them. Please note this does not guarantee a repair.

Sewing machines have many parts and can be complex and very time consuming repairs. If you have a sewing machine with an issue relating to thread tension, bobbins etc then one of our textile repairers may be able to help. However, if the issue appears to be with the internal mechanisms we recommend taking your machine to a professional repairer. Our volunteers will not open the machine to inspect it.

Zips can be very tricky to fix. We recommend taking your item to a sewing shop, such as Lincraft or Spotlight, to seek advice and, if a repair is possible, purchase a new zip and unpick the old one.

Stick/handheld vacuum cleaners are often in sealed units and very tricky to get into and fix. Our volunteers will happily look at them, but pease bear in mind a repair may not be possible.

Furniture: If you have larger items such as furniture, we recommend contacting Pines Community Men's Shed. They have a range of tools, materials, and skills to fix furniture.

If you want to discuss your item and its suitability to be considered for a repair please email Lucy Best on lucy@letmebefrank.com.au

Please let us know what you're bringing. Lucy may be in touch for more information and to offer advice.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

By attending the Repair Café, you agree to these terms and conditions.

When registering at arrival we will do our best to match you to the appropriate repairer.

There may be wait times when attending the Repair Café event. We encourage attendees to help themselves to light refreshments and chat to other attendees whilst they wait.

The work carried out in the Repair Café is performed by community volunteers. Repair experts and other volunteers are not professional repairers and will conduct a repair to the best of their ability, within the time and resources available at the Repair Café event. We do not make any representations as to the skills or qualifications of the volunteer repairers.

Items will be repaired in a ‘DIY’ fashion. Please note the aim of the Repair Café is to help an item be functional for longer, not restored to original condition. If the item is requiring a perfect fix or perfect finish, we recommend seeking a professional repairer and paying for their service.

Attendees offering items for repair do so at their own risk. Neither the organisers of the Repair Café, volunteers, or repair experts are liable for any loss that may result from advice or instructions concerning repairs, for the loss of items handed over for repair, for indirect or consequential loss or for any other kind of loss resulting from work performed in the Repair Café.

Repairers will test the items where appropriate, but the organiser, volunteers and repair experts making repairs offer no guarantee for the repairs carried out with their help, and are not liable if objects that are repaired in the Repair Café turn out not to work properly at home.

Repairs are performed for free wherever possible. The Repair Café event does not provide free parts for items. If a specialist part is required, attendees may be given the option to purchase the part elsewhere and come back to another repair café event to attempt repair. The attendee can choose not to purchase a part for their item.

If an attendee purchases a part for their item based on advice from the Repair Café event, the attendee is choosing to purchase the part with no guarantee the item can be repaired. The organiser is not liable for the cost of the part.

Attendees can carry out the repairs themselves, if possible, with volunteers helping. Attendees conducting repairs themselves do so at their own risk, the organisation, repair experts and volunteers are not liable for any loss resulting from the work performed by the attendees.

Repair experts and volunteers are entitled to refuse to repair items.

Repair experts and volunteers are entitled to recommend seeking a professional repairer or restoration service.

Repair experts and volunteers are not obliged to reassemble items that cannot be repaired.

To cut down on unnecessary waiting times during busy periods, a maximum of one broken item per person will be examined. An attendee can join the back of the queue if there is a second item for repair.

Parents and guardians are responsible for the supervision, behaviour, and safety of their children while at the Repair Café site. Children must not be left unattended.

Repairers, volunteers, and attendees have a right to feel welcome and safe. Antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated. If someone is making you feel unwelcome or unsafe, please let a member of staff know.

Privacy collection notice

The personal information requested on this form is being collected by Let Me Be Frank for the sole purpose of the Frankston Repair Program.

We collect this information in order contact you about your participation at the Repair Café events. We will only share your information with your permission, or where required by law. Unless there is an express need to include personal, identifying information, we provide Council with de-identified information.

Your Personal Information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse and loss and from unauthorized access, modification or disclosure.

Let Me Be Frank’s Privacy is outlined on pages 9-10 of our policy document.