Thanks to our two very experienced volunteers Noel (bike repairs) and Christian (sharpening garden tools), their expertise and passion were clearly visible to all who attended. And thanks also to all the other volunteers who helped out and made the event possible.
The workshop worked very well alongside the Altona Fruit & Vegie Swap.We did a rough estimate and reckon that maybe up to 40 people were buzzing around at the swap and the fixit workshop.
Some ideas that came out of the FixIt workshop:
- Get a bunch of THBers trained up a bit more on sharpening garden tools so we could easily hold more garden tool sharpening sessions.
- Definitely an opportunity available out there for anyone that wants to start a tool sharpening business as the word was that there was no longer anywhere to get them done around Altona, Newport and Williamstown.
- Hold some more FixIt events in conjunction with the Altona and Newport swaps, covering some other repair areas - sharpening scissors, woodwork, soldering, pop riveting, sewing repairs etc
- Limit repair items to one per household, reduce future FixIts to 1 hour instead of 4 hrs & have a first aid kit on hand at future FixIts
- Hold a FixIt workshop at the Altona Beach Festival
- Follow up the possibility of running something with the local Mens Sheds - The Hobsons Bay Mens Shed mentioned the possibility of running a FixIt type workshop at their shed, they have woodworkers and engineers.
Written by Wendy Clarke