'A metaphor for self healing': How repairing came to Claire's rescue

She is now one of the many repairers offering her services at the Warrnambool repair café that will be held on Saturday May 25 and Sunday June 23, 2024 at the Merrivale Recreation Reserve club rooms.

Repairing broken household items meant more than just fixing things, Ms Chatfield said, but brought with it a surprising side effect.

She said it was like its own form of therapy.

"That for me became a metaphor for self healing," Ms Chatfield said.

"It was one stitch at a time, and of course, it's not easy to sew that backpack, so I had to persevere.

"So there was a whole lot of things that were for me a healing journey."

Ms Chatfield said the repair café was also a chance to reduce waste.

"I just I find myself upset by the amount of waste that we're creating and the fact that a lot of things are made to be thrown away," she said.

"The antidote to that in my mind is to repair things, and that's the basis for the whole repair café.

"Keep it in circulation."

Warrnambool repair café project manager Brenda O'Connor said there were also social benefits.

"It's also important to bring people together," she said.

"So that the social element I believe weighs up on par to repairing and reusing your household items.

"So it's people engaging and also potentially people learning new skills meeting new people."

Ms O'Conner said repairers at the café were prepared to take on almost anything from pots and pans to old clothes to electronics and even bikes.

"If you can carry it through the door, you bring it in," she said.

More information about the repair café can be found on their Facebook page.