logo
Appeal for skilled volunteers to keep St Austell Repair Cafe open

Appeal for skilled volunteers to keep St Austell Repair Cafe open

BBC News18-06-2025
A community repair hub has made a plea for more volunteers after it had to suspend its opening times due to staffing issues.The St Austell Repair Cafe, which is part of a 26-strong consortium across Cornwall, said it was on hiatus until September because it was unable to "promote and run the Repair Cafe effectively."The St Austell branch was set up in 2021 by Peter Blenard to help people with repairs or advice in the local community.Mr Blenard said the decision to pause the cafe was "sad because I think people are really tapping into this space where they can bring their items and get them fixed".
'Bringing people together'
Mr Blenard said: "We've got the people coming in but sadly we don't have the volunteers and we know there are people out there with skills we can use. "You don't need to be absolutely amazing at something - I would always refer to myself as a jack of all trades but a master of absolutely nothing."Even the smallest skills you think you have, can be helpful to so many."Mr Blenard said the repair cafe was looking for more electrical repairers, more mechanical repairers, more people with soldering skills and more sewing skills."It's not just about fixing stuff, although that has such a positive impact, this is about bringing people together as well," he added."It's about sharing your skills and getting to know each other."
'All sorts of roles'
The chairman said vacuum cleaners were "usually an absolutely huge" item brought in for fixing, alongside watches, lamps and clocks.Mr Blenard said he would "love five or six volunteers willing to give a couple of hours a month" to help get the repair cafe up and running again."We want people to feel comfortable and that it's not a huge daunting prospect but something that can help your local community and also help people in need who haven't got the money to buy something new.""It's not just about fixing things. We need people to provide the tea and coffee, triage the things that come in and point people in the right direction. There's all sorts of roles at a repair cafe," he added.The St Austell Repair Cafe will be running a volunteer introduction morning at 10:00 BST on 9 August in the Light & Life Centre.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Zero-hours contracts: peers accused of ‘trying to block stronger UK workers' rights'
Zero-hours contracts: peers accused of ‘trying to block stronger UK workers' rights'

The Guardian

time32 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

Zero-hours contracts: peers accused of ‘trying to block stronger UK workers' rights'

Conservative and Liberal Democrat peers have been accused of trying to block stronger rights for millions of workers amid a growing campaign by business leaders to water down Labour's zero-hours contract plans. In a blow for the government, the Lords last week voted to curtail the manifesto promise to give workers a right to a guaranteed hours contract and day-one protections against unfair dismissal. Setting up a showdown with the upper chamber, the Lords passed a series of amendments to the employment rights bill that will must be addressed by ministers when MPs return from their summer break. In an angry intervention on Monday, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Paul Nowak, said the Lords was 'doing the bidding of bad bosses' and ought to 'get out of the way' of the plans. 'The sight of hereditary peers voting to block stronger workers' rights belongs in another century. It's plain wrong,' he said. Under the Lords' amendments, a requirement for employers to offer zero-hours workers a contract covering a guaranteed number of hours would be shifted to place the onus on staff to ask for such an arrangement. Protections against unfair dismissal from the first day of employment – which the government plans to reduce from the current level of two years – would be extended to six months, and changes to free up trade unions would be curtailed. The bill will return to the Commons in September for MPs to consider the amendments. The two houses then continue to vote on the changes in a process known as 'ping-pong' until a way forward is agreed. The amendments were put forward by the Lib Dem Lord Goddard, a former leader of Stockport council, and two Tory peers: Lord Hunt, who is a shadow business minister, and Lord Sharpe, a former investment banker. Hunt did not respond to a request for comment. Sharpe said: 'Keir Starmer's unemployment bill is a disaster for employees as much as it is a threat to business. Labour politicians who have never worked in business are destroying the economy. Only the Conservatives are listening to business and making the case for growth.' Goddard said he feared Labour's 'rushed bill' would be bad for workers in small businesses and on family-owned farms. 'They were badly let down by the Conservatives, and Labour seems to have a blind spot when it comes to farms and small businesses, too. 'We support the bill as a whole and have worked constructively to try to improve it. It's a shame to see the government getting upset that we didn't simply give them a blank cheque.' Employers groups welcomed the changes, saying the Lords was responding to business concerns. Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: 'Putting forward positive, practical and pragmatic amendments to the employment rights bill [will] help to protect the availability of valuable, local, part-time and entry level jobs up and down the country.' Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Industry chiefs have stepped up lobbying against the workers' rights changes, warning that companies were already slashing jobs and putting up prices in response to tax rises in chancellor Rachel Reeves's autumn budget. Dickinson said there was 'further to go' to curb the employment rights bill. 'Even with these amendments accepted, retailers remain worried about the consequences for jobs from other areas of the bill.' Union leaders have, though, urged ministers to stand firm. A recent mega poll of 21,000 people commissioned by the TUC found a majority of UK voters – including Conservative, Lib Dem and Reform UK supporters – backed a ban on zero-hours contracts. Nowak said the government plan included 'commonsense protections' that a majority of people wanted to see become law. 'These peers are not just out of touch, they are actively defying their own voters – and the public at large. The government must stand firm in the face of cynical attacks and deliver the employment rights bill in full.'

Financial Ombudsman Service boss paid £230,000 after ousting
Financial Ombudsman Service boss paid £230,000 after ousting

Times

timean hour ago

  • Times

Financial Ombudsman Service boss paid £230,000 after ousting

The ousted head of the Financial Ombudsman Service received a pay-off of almost £230,000, it has been disclosed in the annual report. Abby Thomas, who left abruptly on 6 February, was paid £229,869 in severance payments on top of her normal salary. The payoff included £100,000 for loss of office, £107,692 in lieu of notice and £22,177 for a period of gardening leave that began on the day she left, the FOS said. MPs on the Treasury select committee have hit out at the manner of her departure and criticised the FOS chairwoman Baroness Manzoor for refusing to answer questions on why Thomas left and whether she was forced out. The FOS, which rules on complaints by consumers about financial services firms and can set compensation orders, is under pressure to reform. Rachel Reeves has pledged to curb its powers so it no longer acts like a regulator after complaints from the industry that it has increased the cost of 'mass redress events'. It has been dealing with a significant rise in claims, mainly related to car finance loans, but also because of concerns about other consumer loans and more people complaining about banks' handling of frauds. Dame Meg Hillier, chairwoman of the Treasury committee, said this month: 'The handling of this situation by the senior leadership has been deeply disappointing.' Thomas, a former Virgin Media executive, served for less than three years. She has been replaced by James Dipple-Johnstone as chief ombudsman and Jenny Simmonds as interim chief executive. Manzoor is due to retire on August 1. The FOS received 450,000 new inquiries in the year to March, up from 330,000. The motor finance industry is braced for a judgment from the Supreme Court this Friday that could determine the scale of compensation payments for failing to disclose commissions paid to dealers.

Activist investor steps up pressure on Smith & Nephew
Activist investor steps up pressure on Smith & Nephew

Times

timean hour ago

  • Times

Activist investor steps up pressure on Smith & Nephew

The activist investor Cevian Capital has raised its shareholding in Smith & Nephew, increasing pressure on the FTSE 100 medical equipment maker before its half-year results. Filings show Cevian, one of Europe's biggest activist investors, has raised its stake to 8.5 per cent having first publicly emerged with a holding in July last year via a Jersey-based vehicle. Cevian, which had raised it to 7.5 per cent in February, is understood to be the largest shareholder. The stake building comes before half-year results from Smith & Nephew on August 5 where investors will look for signs of a turnaround in the performance of its orthopaedics division, the group's largest. The group remains committed to retaining the business, but following full-year results in February, John Rogers, Smith & Nephew's chief financial officer, outlined scenarios under which it could evaluate options.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store