{"id":44357,"date":"2022-08-24T12:10:05","date_gmt":"2022-08-24T10:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.repaircafe.org\/?p=44357"},"modified":"2022-08-31T14:49:51","modified_gmt":"2022-08-31T12:49:51","slug":"should-repair-cafe-volunteers-be-paid-for-their-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.repaircafe.org\/en\/should-repair-cafe-volunteers-be-paid-for-their-efforts\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Repair Cafe volunteers be paid for their efforts?"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

Repair Cafes in New Zealand and Australia are considering the challenge of attracting enough volunteers to keep up with the growing interest in their repair sessions. A suggested solution is to compensate volunteers for their contribution.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the core of this challenge lie a number of contributing factors, such as increased food prices, housing, rental costs\u00a0and the need to work more in order to make a basic income\u201d, reflects Brigitte Sistig, co-founder of the New Zealand national organisation Repair Cafe Aotearoa NZ<\/a>.\u00a0She feels that some aspects of Repair Cafes may require a review.<\/p>\n

Compensation for time spent<\/h2>\n

\u201cIn Aotearoa New Zealand volunteers are often acknowledged in the form of a \u201ckoha\u201d \u2013 a donation\u201d, Brigitte explains. \u201cWhile traditionally in M\u0101ori culture this would have been in the form of food, money is now a common form of koha and is given as a token of appreciation and respect in both M\u0101ori and non-M\u0101ori cultural contexts. Most Repair Cafes in Aotearoa New Zealand ask participants to pay a koha to cover expenses such as hall hire costs or refreshments, but not to cover the time of the volunteers. It may be good if for instance a coordinator would receive such compensation for the time they spent.\u201d<\/p>\n

TimeBank<\/a> credits may be another way of addressing this issue, says Brigitte. \u201cWe have already had\u00a0conversations with Repair Cafe organisers about accessing TimeBanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the TimeBanking model, a person with a specific skill can earn time credits for sharing their skills to help other members, then use their credits to receive services that are of value to them. \u201cThere are also discussions about working with\u00a0local Councils to seek payment for repair event organisers and skilled repairers at Repair\u00a0Cafes, which is currently being trialed.\u201d However, she adds, generally power bills, rent and food bills cannot be paid with timebank credits.<\/p>\n

Win-win situation for the environment and the local community<\/h2>\n

Guido Verbist launched Australia\u2019s first Repair Cafe in Marrickville, Sydney<\/a> in 2014 and currently runs an eco-business that repairs and recycles bicycles. He recognizes Brigitte\u2019s experiences. \u201cSince COVID 19, Australian organisations are struggling to re-engage their volunteer workforce, and I expect this situation to remain for the foreseeable future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

The Marrickville Repair Cafe was part of The Bower Reuse and Repair Centre<\/a>, which Guido managed for many years. \u201cAt The Bower, we decided early on to pay our volunteers to help us meet the growing interest from local councils and community groups who invited us to run Repair Cafes for their residents and members. Councils were happy to cover the cost for our Repair Cafe facilitators. For them, this is a small price to pay to reduce their environmental footprint. The increased number of repaired goods decreases the number of goods they have to process as waste. This is a win-win situation for the environment and the local community.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a circular economy, Repair Cafes should be open daily<\/h2>\n

Despite a strong volunteering tradition in Australia and New Zealand, both Brigitte and Guido think that compensating Repair Cafe coordinators for their contribution ultimately leads to the success of Repair Caf\u00e9s. \u201cWhen you offer the facilitators a fee for their services, it becomes much easier to manage the workload and to rely on their availability and the quality of their services\u201d, says Guido. Both he and Brigitte regard the establishment of a paid coordinator role for Repair Cafes an essential step to take. Guido: \u201cThis will enable Repair Cafes to meet the growing demand while guaranteeing the required quality standards.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both point out that the circular economy is rapidly becoming the accepted economic model of the future worldwide. \u201cCreating a culture and economy that is based on sharing, reusing, repairing and refurbishing of re-integratable materials is the future”, says Brigitte. Guido is convinced that Repair Cafes can be a central part of the circular economy. “There will be a need for Repair Cafes to be open daily, not just e.g. once per month. But that will only be possible when a sustainable financing model has been established.\u201d<\/p>\n

Join the discussion!<\/h2>\n

Do you want to contribute to this conversation? Please leave a comment below!<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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