Got something broken at home? Don’t know where to get it fixed? Try the Repairmongery!
The Repairmongery is a new service aiming to fix your broken household items.
Pilot stage & research goals
- What do you have that needs fixing?
- How much would you pay for a repair?
The Repairmongery is currently in the pilot stage: we’re excited to be able to accept items to fix already, but are also keen to find out more how much you would be ready to pay for. Is this service something we could sustain long term? Help us figure it out!
Upcoming Open Days
Come to drop off items you would like to get repaired, share feedback or ask any questions!
We’ll be at our Repair Lair (at Custom House, next door to Leith Market):
– on Saturday 12th October 10 till 4pm: drop-off booking link
– on Saturday 9th November 10 till 4pm: drop-off booking link
– on Saturday 14th December 10 till 4pm: drop-off booking link
We’ll be also in Craigmillar:
– on Thursday 31st October: timings and link coming soon (at the Greenhouse Pantry)
And in Portobello:
– on Saturday 19th October 10:30 till 11:30am: drop-off booking link (at Porty Community Fridge)
– on Friday 15th November: timings and link coming soon (at Bellfield Café Kitchen)
What we can fix
- Tools (both hand tools and power tools),
- small household electricals (lamps, kitchen gadgets, radios, etc),
- battery powered items,
- toys, and more!
We won’t take items for which a repair service already exists – for instance computers, vacuum cleaners, bicycles, or clothes – but we will direct you to someone who specialises in fixing that sort of thing. We also can’t take white goods (eg. washing machines or fridges), and we can’t fix anything that’s too big to bring into the workshop.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay for the repair?
Just for spare parts, not the repair! Thanks to our funders, repairs are free during the research phase. The budget doesn’t cover spare parts though, so we will charge for those at cost. As part of the research we’re doing, we will be asking customers how much they would pay for repairs, and we invite you to make a donation to the Tool Library if you’d like to.
Who can get things fixed?
Anyone living or working in Leith, Portobello and Craigmillar is welcome to bring along their items for repair.
Where do I drop off my item?
We’re based at Custom House and we’ll be having open intake days there once a month on the second Saturday of the month. We run also monthly intake days in various venues around Portobello and Craigmillar too in partnership with Action Porty. We’ll publish all the dates here and on our eventbrite page.
I don’t just want someone else to fix my stuff; I want to learn how to repair it for myself!
Then you should look out for the monthly Repair Café Edinburgh events. It’s run by a great team of volunteers every month in a different location around town, and they’ll welcome you with the tools and skills to get you fixing!
My business offers repair services; are you trying to compete or undercut me?
Absolutely not! In fact we’d love to signpost people to your business. Please get in touch to let us know what sorts of things you repair and how we can put people in contact with you. If you’d like to leave flyers or business cards with us, we’ll be happy to hand them out.
I have other questions; how can I get in touch?
If you can’t make it to one of these intake days, you can email:
– Jessi at jessi@edinburghtoollibrary.org.uk for Leith repairs
– Julian at julian@edinburghtoollibrary.org.uk for Porty and Craigmillar repairs
Who’s involved?
This project is being run by the Edinburgh Tool Library, with amazing funding from Leith Chooses and Action Porty. Most of the repair work is done by our duo of Repair Technicians, Jessi and Julian. We’re hoping to work with local businesses, charities, and other organisations as appropriate.
