In a time when it is often cheaper and easier to replace an item than repair it, the Wangaratta Repair Café is doing its bit to keep the motto “reduce, reuse and recycle” alive.

Thanks to a funding boost through the People of Post Grants program, the café can now take that message further, delivering its school outreach program across the region.

The initiative is helping students develop more sustainable, environmentally conscious habits, but just as importantly, it is passing on practical skills that can last a lifetime.

Many of us had grandparents who taught us how to patch a pair of jeans, mend a chair or repair a bicycle chain, but those skills are slowly being lost as the norm trends toward consuming and planned obsolescence.

There is something to be said for putting a little time, care and elbow grease into repairing something, rather than popping down to the shops or ordering a replacement online.

The café’s visits to Springhurst Primary School, Carraragarmungee Primary School and local homeschoolers show how simple lessons can make a real difference.

A broken shovel needing one nail and a school now equipped with a hammer is a small example, but it captures the point perfectly.

When children learn that the first response to something breaking is not the bin or a shopping cart, they gain confidence, resourcefulness and a better understanding of the value of what they already have.

So, we extend our thanks to the Wangaratta Repair Café for passing on generational skills, helping the next generation build conscious habits, and encouraging the wider community to reduce the waste and footprint we leave on Earth.