The Kingsbridge repair cafe, a long-awaited new scheme, will be arriving at Kingsbridge Care hub from 10am to 1pm on Sunday January 29th.

The cafe is part of a scheme by Kingsbridge Climate Action and create a space where people can work together to fix their faulty items, thus saving money and the environment in the process.

The repair cafe schemes have been popping up locally, with similar endeavours in Ivybridge and South Brent.

Founders of the cafe said: “it’s now less than 2 weeks to go until we launch our first Repair Café in Kingsbridge! Come and see if our team of brilliant volunteers can fix your broken stuff - bring down your household items that need repairing or some TLC and our skilled repairers will take a look at them for you. Save money, reduce waste, enjoy tea and cake while you wait and maybe even learn a new skill or two.”

“If it’s electronic gadgets or small household electrical items that you need looking at, please get in touch in advance if you can, letting us know the model and problem.”

The cafe is a not-for-profit community project and has been supported with funding from South Hams District Council.

The scheme reduces waste, and creates a circular economy, ensuring items that can be repaired and reused are not thrown away. It also builds community spirit as people work together to fix their items over a cup of tea. The scheme takes people with a variety of skills, from sewing to electrical knowledge and utilises them to fix an array of items, from electricals to furniture.

Kingsbridge Town Council called the scheme a "brilliant new initiative."

Rosa Hannaford, who is project lead for the Kingsbridge Repair Shop, said: “The joy of a project like this is that it does so many different things and has so many benefits. It’s brilliant for the environment as it helps reduce waste going to landfill and helps lower our carbon footprint. But It also helps the community come together around something really meaningful. We can connect with our neighbours and make new friends over tea and cake. We can learn new skills together and support each other to save money. We can see our possessions, as well as the skills that are needed to repair things, with a greater sense of appreciation. All this helps build connection and resilience as a community, as well as shifting mindsets around sustainability issues like waste and our throwaway culture.”

For more information, you can contact Kingsbridge Climate Action with any enquiries through facebook, instagram or on [email protected]