Over the coming three years, VINCI Energies will be supporting the Repair Café project in the classroom, in order to teach children how goods can be repaired and retained for further use. The lesson package for the organisation of Repair Café lessons at primary schools is already available in Dutch, and is to be translated into 10 languages over the coming years.

The Repair Café aims to reintroduce a modern style of repairs to local communities. Its purpose is to retain and share knowledge of repair work, and to promote social cohesion by establishing contact between neighbours from very different backgrounds and with varying motivations, within the scope of inspirational and low threshold meetings.

Jos Boers, CEO of VINCI Energies Nederland: ‘The careful and sustainable use of the available resources is one of today’s biggest challenges. This project helps to make children aware of this, while at the same time teaching them how they can repair broken objects. Volunteers at the local Repair Cafés collaborate with primary schools to provide these lessons. It’s a fantastic way of passing on knowledge of repairs, retaining such skills for the future.’

Martine Postma, Director of Repair Café International: ‘VINCI Energies is of course very aware of how important it is to retain such knowledge. And that young people should develop inquisitive minds. For many children, it is no longer normal for them to repair their bicycle tyre at home, to mend their backpack or to take an alarm clock apart. During the Repair Café lessons, they recognise how much fun this can be. Thanks to the support of VINCI Energies, we can now provide these lessons worldwide, that’s fantastic!’

Would you like to know more about the Repair Café? Click here for the website.