How to Set Up a Repair Workshop
Author: Marion Kade, City of Tartu
Paranduskelder (meaning Repair Basement in Estonian) operates as a repair workshop located in the south of Estonia, the city of Tartu. It is owned by the non-governmental organization that has been organizing Repair Cafés since 2017 in various places around Estonia. The concept is simple yet powerful: extend the life of consumer goods through repair, education, and community engagement. Paranduskelder serves as a hub where anyone can walk in with a broken item, whether it’s clothing, electronics, or bicycles, and receive assistance from skilled craftsmen. The focus here is on repair, upcycling and do-it-yourself activities, encouraging change within people’s habits and mindset towards repairing.
In November 2019 they opened their own workshop in the basement of an old factory complex and called it Paranduskelder. Since then, various workshops, events and lectures connected to sustainable lifestyle have been organized and they have been working towards building a resilient community. The community includes professionally skilled craftsmen, engineers, architects, creatives, educators and artists. NGO is funded yearly by the municipality of Tartu.
Additionally, Paranduskelder hosts workshops on repairing, maintenance, and upgrading, aimed at equipping people with the skills needed to embrace sustainable living practices. Recognizing the importance of community outreach, Paranduskelder collaborates with local influencers and utilizes diverse media channels to raise awareness about the environmental and economic benefits of repair.
The Most Important Requirements for Success
Community Engagement and Skilled Volunteers
Building a strong volunteer base is critical. It’s not only about having skilled individuals who can handle diverse repairs, but also fostering a supportive, inclusive environment where community members feel comfortable participating. Recruiting fixers who are enthusiastic about sharing skills and bringing in local partners—whether through schools, environmental groups, or municipal programs—can make a repair workshop truly thrive.
Accessible and Functional Venue
Finding the right location plays a major role. It should be easily accessible to the community and have enough space for designated repair stations, seating, and a welcoming area for refreshments. A well-organized setup that encourages interaction between visitors and volunteers can transform a repair workshop into a community place rather than just a repair service.
Funding
Initial funding is essential to cover basic tools for sewing, electronics, woodworking, etc. While community donations and grants (like Paranduskelder’s success with the Environmental Investment Centre) are great starting points, it’s helpful to maintain a small budget for consumables and replacements. Setting up a donation jar during events or looking for sustainability-focused grants can ensure that the repair workshop has a steady supply of resources.
Recommendations for Replicating a Repair Workshop
If you think about setting up something similar in your own city/region, here are a few tips on how to do that. We classified the key aspects into the following categories.
Legislative Aspects
To establish a Repair Workshop like Paranduskelder, supportive legislation is essential. This includes laws protecting consumer rights to repair, environmental regulations promoting sustainability, and product safety standards. Intellectual property rights, competition laws, and business regulations are also important. While there may not be a specific legislative framework, advocating for laws promoting consumer access to repair services, product durability, and manufacturer support for repairability is advisable.
Technology
When it comes to technological aspects, these mostly include diagnostic tools for identifying issues, repair equipment for conducting repairs, a spare parts inventory for necessary components. These constitute one of the important investment categories.
Finance
The investment can vary depending on factors such as location, size, equipment, and staffing needs. Setting up will be a one-time investment. Paranduskelder is a private initiative that collaborates with different stakeholders in EU projects focusing on sustainability and circular economy. We offer educational and training services to get income. The city of Tartu provides small financial support every year.
One of our biggest expense categories are human resources (ca 110 000 €/year, overall expenses totalling 147 500 €/year). Our craftsmen are either volunteers or occupied with part-time employment. The next big expense is room rent (approx 18 000 /year), provided that the materials used for repairing are also second hand or repurposed materials. Paranduskelder brings in around 60 000 €. This is getting better every year, but still needs support through various projects.
Paranduskelder initially secured its funding through an environmental grant from the Environmental Investment Centre in Estonia. On April 23, 2019, they participated in the Negavatt energy-saving competition and were selected among the top 10 out of 77 entries. In the final round on May 28, Paranduskelder won second place, receiving a €5,000 startup grant. This funding was crucial for purchasing essential tools and equipment.
For others looking to start similar projects, exploring grants focused on environmental sustainability, circular economy initiatives, or community engagement can be beneficial. Platforms like local environmental investment centers, crowdfunding, and competitions focused on green initiatives can be valuable resources for initial funding.
Stakeholders
Stakeholders crucial to involve in a repair workshop like Paranduskelder include community members, local businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, environmental organizations, nonprofit groups, and media influencers. Their participation ensures access to resources, regulatory compliance, educational opportunities, environmental advocacy, community outreach, and promotional support.
Paranduskelder cooperates actively with other repair workshops, e.g., Kolpi 93, Men’s House Tartu Kuur; repair movements, e.g., Repair Together, Right to Repair; public sector organizations, e.g., City of Tartu and Tallinn Strategy Centre; foundations, e.g., Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre
Society
Overcoming cultural resistance to repair, promoting sustainable lifestyle attitudes, and understanding the needs and preferences of diverse demographics are key to fostering acceptance and participation in the repair culture. Paranduskelder strives to promote sustainability by growing own international community via YouTube channel – Paranda. The videos are in English, and they cover broader ideas on transition to sustainably functioning global systems.
“Resilient and motivated community initiative” – a toolkit produced in cooperation with Paranduskelder for making your community initiative work more effectively. You will find inspiration through valuable tips and ideas on how to organise things in your community initiative as well as workshop templates that are included in this toolkit will guide you in running it through with your community and get results.