The details discussed during the meeting (pdf) have been incorporated in the volunteers information page.
1. Welcome and Apologies
- Simon opened the meeting to brief volunteers on the upcoming Repair Cafe at the Festival of Thrift.
- Apologies were received from Pete, Joy, and Rachel.
2. Goals and Insurance
- The primary goals are to demonstrate repair in action, mend items, raise awareness of local repair cafes, and inspire others to start their own.
- The event will operate under the Stokes and Villages Repair Cafe insurance.
- Donations collected will cover the running costs, with any surplus split among the participating local repair cafes.
3. Venue, Layout, and Logistics
- Location: The event takes place in the Walled Garden’s Bothy Gallery.
- Parking & Drop-off: Volunteers can use the accessible car park to drop off items during setup times (before 10:00 AM or between 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM). Afterwards, cars must be moved to the main showground, which is a 15-minute walk away.
- Schedule: Setup will take place on Friday from 10:00 AM until early afternoon. Saturday and Sunday operating hours will be heavily structured, with all packing up to be completed by 7:00 PM on Sunday.
- Festival Rules: The festival is strictly against single-use plastics. Volunteers are encouraged to car-share or use public transport where possible.
4. Health & Safety
- Volunteers must review the risk assessment linked on the Stokesley website.
- To avoid trip hazards, volunteers will stay on one side of the tables while the public remains on the other.
- All electrical items must be PAT tested before being repaired. Items will receive a tick if they pass and a cross if they fail, in which case the repair will not proceed.
5. Process and Paperwork
- Forms & Disclaimers: Customers must fill out a two-sided form and sign the disclaimer for insurance purposes.
- Triage: Items will be logged with an ID number (e.g., E1 for electrical, W1 for woodwork) at the triage desk. Simon will equip the triage team with a master list of all volunteer skills to route items accurately.
- Documentation: Volunteers are urged to provide detailed notes on defects and fixes for the international repair database (e.g., detailing the specific driver installed on a laptop, rather than just writing “fixed”).
- Strictly no drop-offs: Customers must remain with their items; they cannot leave them to be collected later.
6. Refreshments and Welfare
- A volunteer is making several tray bakes, including a date slice and an orange and almond cake (gluten-free), which will be clearly labeled and kept separate for nut allergies.
- A water boiler, teas (caffeinated and herbal), coffee, and milks (fresh and long-life in mini-fridges) will be provided.
- Volunteers are highly encouraged to bring their own lunch to avoid long queues at the festival food stalls.
Action Items:
- All Volunteers: Review the Risk Assessments (pdf) prior to the event.
- All Volunteers: Bring a reusable water bottle/mug to comply with the festival’s zero single-use plastics rule.
- All Volunteers: Bring your own lunch, personal repair tools, wear your local repair cafe t-shirts, and optionally bring your own “easy repairs” to work on during quiet periods.
- All Volunteers: Bring any promotional materials or signage for your local repair cafe to display at the event.
- Simon: Provide the triage desk with a comprehensive list of all volunteers and their specific skills.
- Simon: Circulate a list of general items he is bringing (e.g., extension leads, random lamps, batteries, long screwdrivers) so others know what is already supplied.
- Richard & Rachel: Coordinate to ensure Richard’s hot air gun is brought to the site by Rachel on Saturday morning.
- Paddy & Peter: Coordinate with one another regarding overlap and coverage for your shared shift.