Grant gives Horsham Repair Café a helping hand

Tesco’s ‘Bags of Help’ initiative sees money raised by the sale of carrier bags used to fund thousands of projects in communities right across the UK ranging from improving community buildings and outdoor spaces to buying new equipment, training coaches or volunteers and hosting community events.

During November and December, shoppers in the Horsham Tesco Express stores and the Broadbridge Heath store were able to use tokens to vote for their chosen community initiative and the Horsham Repair Café received the most votes.

The win saw the Repair Cafe receive a cheque for £3,286.

Carrie Cort from Sussex Green Living, one of the co-founders of the Horsham Repair Café, said: “We have been blown away about the enthusiasm of local people, both in stepping up as volunteers and bringing along repairs. People so want this service.

“We have had visitors from many other villages and towns, who looking into setting up their own Repair Cafe, Worthing, Henfield, Rudgwick, Dorking are a few which spring to mind.”

The Horsham Repair Café has been running on the first Saturday of every month since October, it has seen an increasing footfall and an number of repairs carried out by lots of volunteers.

Repairs range from clothing, small household electrical goods, laptops, PCs, mobile phones, there is a monthly plastic bottle refill service for household cleaning products Ecover, Bio-D and Faith-in-Nature offered by the Horsham Quakers and energy advice offered by Groundwork.

The idea is that people sit with the voluntary repairer to learn how to undertake these repairs for themselves (excluding electrical repairs). This valuable community repair cafe is saving people money and helping the environment by diverting goods from landfill.

A mother who recently visited the Repair Café said: “Brilliant service today, thank you so much, really pleased we came along.

“The lights on my daughters high-vis vest are flashing away now, perfect for the dark days winter brings”.

Another visitor said: “I just wanted to say thank you so much for such a wonderful experience at the repair café on Saturday.

“It was lovely to get a glimpse of what goes on and I can’t remember his name, but the guy that took my radio to repair was so kind and lovely I can’t wait to see what he does when I come back next month.”

Two of the founders behind the Horsham Repair Café Jill Shuker and Carrie Cort have been invited to attend the Climate Coalition’s Green Heart Hero Awards on Tuesday March 13 at the House of Commons.

Nominated by Horsham’s MP Jeremy Quin this community initiative has been shortlisted for the Inspiring Community Initiative Award.

The next Repair Café is on Saturday March 3 from 10am until 1pm at the Quaker Meeting House, Worthing Road, Horsham, RH12 1SL.

Booking of repairs is recommended. Visit http://www.horshamrepaircafe.org.uk/contact-booking/ or call 07780 701184.

Even if you don’t have anything in need of repair you are invited to join volunteers at the Repair Café for a cuppa and some lovely homemade cake.

For further information about the Horsham Repair Café visit www.horshamrepaircafe.org.uk or https://repaircafe.org