Recycle Devon marks International Repair Day with free community repair event

Recycle Devon is joining more than 1,000 community groups, businesses and schools around the world to celebrate the tenth International Repair Day on Saturday 17 October.

International Repair Day is an annual celebration of the people and organisations making repair happen in communities around the world.

To mark the occasion, Recycle Devon is hosting a free community Repair Day at The Ockment Community Centre, North Street, Okehampton, EX20 1AR, from 10.30am to 1.30pm.

Groups from Devon's thriving repair community will come together to mend and fix a wide range of household items for free, although small donations are welcome.

Volunteers from Sustainable Hatherleigh and the Bradninch, High Bickington & Atherington and Okehampton Repair Cafés will be on hand to repair electrical and mechanical items, mend clothing and beaded jewellery, sharpen tools and much more. Tea, coffee and cakes will also be available.

Representatives from Suez will be promoting the repair and reuse services available at Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) across Devon, while CAG Devon will showcase the network of community repair groups operating across the county.

The event is open to everyone, and items will be assessed for repair on a first come, first served basis.

Repair Cafés have proved to be extremely popular, and frequently receive positive feedback from the public:

• "The sense of community- it feels very warm and welcoming"
• "Advised by the shop to buy new, but this result is much better!"
• "Delighted with the repair of my 'shell lamp', repairer was so helpful, thank you"

A volunteer mender also shared their experience:

"We occasionally have very personal items of sentimental value. This time we had a musical jewellery box (Chinese) which was over 100 years old which had not worked for over 30 years. The repairer got it working within minutes and the owner was extremely delighted and quite emotional."

International Repair Day is coordinated by The Restart Project in collaboration with partner networks around the world.

Last year's International Repair Day saw more than 3,500 events take place across 50 countries.

Devon County Council Re-use Project Officer, Jennifer Cooper said:

"Repair Cafés offer so many benefits to the local community and beyond. They bring our communities together, encourage skill sharing, promote social inclusion and help reduce our waste and impact on the environment.

"We are lucky to have so many Repair Cafés here in Devon, and International Repair Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the volunteers who give their time and skills to help others repair and reuse items rather than throw them away."

For more information and advice about repairing and reusing, visit www.recycledevon.org.