A repair café workshop: a volunteer-led effort in Rochester

For eight years the neighborhood has asked for a repair café workshop. This year a group of 16 volunteers, including local mothers, decided to stop waiting. The council has given permission for the old Unity bus depot, but no funding. We have received donated volunteer hours worth about $1,500, and the remaining cost is $2,700. It will serve about 438 people, including local farmers and market traders. We'll hold a build day in November and everyone is invited. We're a small team, and every dollar will be spent in the open - I'll post receipts and progress photos. Funds are spent only on materials, permits and safety equipment; all labor is volunteered. Where the $2,700 goes: • Materials: $2,250 • Safety equipment and signage: $230 • Tools hire and delivery: $220 I never thought I'd be the one asking, and I'm grateful for every bit of support. - Madeline