Voting for the Manse Masses Community Fund will start on 27.10.2025 at 9.00.
With the help of Mansen masses the non-profit Second Hand Tampere ry is working with the people of Tampere to make Tampere a Repair City in 2026. Our plan is to put circular economy, maintenance and repair skills into circulation through workshops - open and accessible to all. The workshops will teach how to repair, maintain and tune things, and develop circular economy skills and responsible consumption.
You, the people of Tampere, decide on the allocation of the Manse masses by voting.
Voting can be done either electronically this link or by filling in a paper form at libraries. You can vote once and all residents of Tampere can vote. Each voter has three votes at his or her disposal, i.e. you can choose the three options you prefer.
Why do we fix? Fixing a garment, a piece of furniture or a toy will not solve the world's problems, but it will increase our skills and make us pause for a moment to reflect on our choices.
The problems in the textile industry, for example, are widely known. The sector is responsible for almost 10 % of industrial greenhouse gas emissions. As consumers, we overconsume and undervalue textiles, while overusing natural resources and undervaluing the work of the people who produce them. Equally, we are used to buying a new plastic product when the old one breaks, even though plastics can and should indeed be repaired.
Repair is not just about slowing down the pace of consumption, but a way of thinking that puts quality, sustainability and care back on the agenda. When a garment or item stands the test of time, it also carries with it memories and meanings.
Repair and maintenance is also of great importance for the national economy. Each extended year of use saves not only natural resources, but also money that stays in circulation locally - for sewers, repairers, laundries, craftsmen.
Repair also supports skills retention and strengthens the local economy in a way that is quiet but highly relevant. Repair is also mindfulness: a moment to work with your hands and rest your mind. Doing things in a focused way brings us back to the present moment and reminds us that slowing down can also be productive. This is a small but powerful circular economy, at the heart of which is not perfection, but connection - to our own handprint, to our clothing, to the people we repair with!
With the Repair City people of all ages in Tampere gain skills, community and joy in their everyday lives. Through everyday practical activities, citizens' identity as capable and involved actors in their community is strengthened. The workshops will bring the different types of repair services and the skills of entrepreneurs closer to consumers' everyday lives and increase their knowledge, understanding and appreciation of repair services. At the same time, Tampere will strengthen its position as a pioneer of the green transition in Finland, Europe and the world!
The association has a lot of knowledge that we want to share:
- Repair and alteration of clothing and textiles using various techniques
- Repair and maintenance of footwear, leather workshops
- Furniture refurbishment, upholstery workshops
- Bicycle maintenance
- Repair of household goods (toys, plastic and battery operated goods)
- Repair of household appliances.
