Community owned social enterprise Lockerbie CAN will open its doors for the first time today, after a three month overhaul of the old Victoria Wine shop at 80 High Street, which includes a new child friendly play area.
The new store, which takes inspiration from the Netherlands, will be Scotland’s first full time repair cafe. Store workers will fix items from clothes to electricals while customers enjoy a cafe experience while they wait.
CAN manager Alis Balance said: “Everyone has been busy preparing to open, tidying, cleaning and restoring the shop, which was until very recently a derelict building.
“Kitchen staff have also been busy perfecting their culinary skills, ready to open their cafe to the public.”
And they played host to local MSP Elaine Murray recently, to offer her a preview of the services available.
Afterwards she said: “Lockerbie CAN’s community cafe will be an asset to Lockerbie High Street, occupying a previously empty property and providing work experience opportunities for young people.
“A repair cafe is a novel idea which I understand is based on a model which operates successfully in the Netherlands and I am sure local people will find this a useful service enabling broken equipment to be repaired rather than thrown away.”
Alis added: “Elaine’s visit made every one of us on the staff team at the CAN feel that our work is really valued, and I would like to thank her personally for her encouragement.
“This newest project of ours will offer a good repair service and a friendly relaxed cafe, a positive and special place where young people are in training to acquire many skills from repairing to cooking to retail.
“We are very excited to be launching our new project here, and have been made to feel very welcome by the community.”
As well as running a cafe, with a menu offering home grown food and food saved from supermarkets which would otherwise go to waste, and a repair service, Lockerbie CAN also hope to offer classes and courses such as knitting, crochet, sewing and mending to healthy cooking with local produce.
