People living in the Laurencetown area near Banbridge have had all kinds of household goods, tools and machinery brought back to life thanks to the Repair Cafe run by Laurencetown, Lenaderg and Tullylish Community Association, supported by Clanmil Housing.
The Repair Cafe invited local people to bring items that are no longer working or fit for purpose to the Community Centre recently. Volunteers Felix and Astrid from the Tools for Solidarity charity were on hand to work on the items that people brought in, including sewing machines, gardening tools and many more.
Claire Patience from Laurencetown, Lenaderg and Tullylish Community Association was delighted that so many people benefited. She said:
“In the current cost of living crisis, repairing broken items rather than replacing them with something brand new is a great way to save money. Also, when something that’s in good condition is refurbished, it means it’s not getting thrown out and sent to landfill. The cafe itself is a sociable place for people to gather and chat. We’re delighted that Clanmil were able to support us and we look forward to many sessions of the Repair Cafe in February, June and October 2023.”
Austin Kelly of Clanmil said:
“We are delighted to support Laurencetown, Lenaderg and Tullylish Community Association in running the Repair Cafe, helping reduce waste, save money and bring people together to socialise. This is one of many projects we have supported in the Banbridge area, as part of our commitment to community engagement from our development of the Hawthorn Gardens shared housing neighbourhood.”
This was the third Repair Cafe in Laurencetown Community Centre and there will be more happening next year. Clanmil Housing allocated funding to the project as part of a Good Relations Plan within Hawthorn Gardens in Banbridge, its shared neighbourhood development which opened in 2019.
The project is supported through the NI Executive Together: Building a United Community Strategy, which reflects the Executive’s commitment to improving community relations and continuing the journey towards a more united and shared society. The Hawthorn Gardens shared housing development is also supported by the Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
Clanmil continues to work in partnership with local Advisory Group stakeholders to develop the Hawthorn Gardens Good Relations Plan. Approx £2.4m was invested in the development and associated five-year Good Relations Plan. The Plan includes "bridging" projects and events which are delivered to the wider community in order to encourage a range of good relations outcomes. Clanmil Housing Association currently has seven shared housing developments across Northern Ireland and is promoting a further two.