News Maidstone Repair Café: Looking after your health and household items
Residents of Maidstone are invited to welcome the new year with a boost to their health and wellbeing at a special Health Zone, while bringing their pre-loved items to be restored at Maidstone Repair Café.
The free drop-in event will take place at Maidstone Market on Saturday 3 January 2026, bringing together an impressive range of local health professionals, wellbeing practitioners, and community organisations. There will be practical support, expert advice, and hands-on activities for all ages.
Over the last two years, the Repair Café has been giving household items a new lease of life, including clothing, electricals, garden tools and bikes. The Health Zone will take this one step further to care for the visitors: prioritising health with a range of qualified professionals, new wellbeing activities to try, and opportunities to learn more about the local support services in Maidstone.
Visitors will be able to access free advice, assessments, and demonstrations from a diverse team of contributors, including the Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) Health Team, with healthy lifestyle advice, weight-loss support, free blood pressure checks and health MOTs.
Joining the council are San Fairy Ann Cycling Club, with the chance to have a go at some cycling, free spine and posture checks with Destiny Chiropractic and menopause coaching with Jo Adams.
There will also be physiotherapists, reflexologists, health coaches and pilates taster sessions.
In addition, Involve and Kent and Medway NHS Trust staff will be available for you to meet your local teams, talk about their services and how you can get involved in shaping better experiences and care, while challenging inequalities.
Speaking about the inclusion of the Health Zone to kick off the 2026 Repair Café season, the organisers said:
We are excited to offer this new Health Zone as a way to help people start the year feeling supported, informed, and motivated regarding their health.Whether you’re looking to check your blood pressure, explore mental health support, chat with a coach, or simply try something new, there’s something here for everyone.
Cllr Rachel Rodwell, MBC Cabinet Member for Climate Transition and Nature Recovery, added:
This time of year is an excellent chance to look through your household items and see which ones need an extra bit of love. The Repair Café has already restored over 1,000 treasured belongings, so come and add yours to the list and see what the team can do.
The Health Zone complements the ethos of the Maidstone Repair Café: bringing the community together, empowering residents, and supporting sustainable, healthier lifestyles.
If you would like to be part of the Health Zone, or volunteer to help at the Maidstone Repair Cafe, details of how to contact the team are on the website.
The event is free and open to all, with no booking required.