A growing network of community-run Repair Cafes is popping up across the Hunter, helping residents save money, reduce waste and reconnect through the simple act of fixing things.

From Newcastle and Lake Macquarie to now the Cessnock/Branxton area, the volunteer-led movement encourages locals to repair damaged household items instead of throwing them away.

Repair It Lake Mac coordinator Gabrielle Clappison said the initiative had steadily grown since the group’s first event in 2018.

“We’re still surprised after doing it for so long that people aren’t aware because this is a worldwide movement,” she explained.

“Every item has a story.”

Ms Clappison said residents often brought sentimental belongings to be repaired, including lamps passed down through generations, treasured clothing and even an almost 80-year-old Mickey Mouse toy from Disneyland.

While cost-of-living pressures were driving some interest, she said many visitors simply wanted to hold onto meaningful possessions.

“We get a lot of chairs because chairs are expensive to replace,” Ms Clappison said.

“And, a lot of clothing repairs because it’s quite expensive to get a pair of trousers taken up by a seamstress.”

The free events are powered entirely by volunteers, with repairers helping fix clothing, bikes, jewellery, timber furniture and small electrical items.

“We ask for a smile,” Ms Clappison said.

“When people leave, we ask them to smile at strangers for the rest of the day, sometimes the rest of the week.”

Repair Cafes have also expanded across the region through collaborations with groups including The Full Circle Collective, which has hosted pop-up events in Newcastle.

A new monthly Repair Cafe at Clyde Street Arts in Hamilton North launched earlier this year, bringing together repairers, artists and sustainability groups in a shared creative space.

Ms Clappison said the movement was also about challenging Australia’s growing “throwaway culture”.

“When I was growing up, things were meant to last,” she added.

“Now things just break down after your warranty.

“We can’t just keep filling landfill with stuff.”

The next Repair It Lake Mac pop-up event will take place during the Sounds of Sustainability festival at Croudace Bay on 31 May, while Repair Cafes continue to run regularly across Newcastle and the Hunter.

For more news stories:

• Thousands of fingerlings released to improve recreational fishing in Lake Mac
• NSW to introduce new protections for novice motorcycle riders 
• New round of dredging set to begin at Swansea Channel

Get all the latest Newcastle news, sport, real estate, entertainment, lifestyle and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Newcastle Weekly Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.