First Repair Café for Porlock Vale

Following in the footsteps of Wellington and Taunton, this will be the first Repair Café to take place in West Somerset.

This is intended to be a monthly event, taking place in different locations across Porlock Vale. At the end of the year, we will publish the weight of items that have been restored and have not ended up in landfill, to see the impact on our carbon footprint.

The Repair Café has a team of skilled volunteers who are giving their time to help repair the public’s belongings to save perfectly good items from ending up in landfill.

A member of staff said: “The time taken to repair the item will be free; a small charge may be required for items required for the repair.

“We ask for a voluntary contribution to help keep the Repair Café going. There will also be an actual café on site so for attendees to purchase drinks and cake whilst they wait.

The Repair Café ethos aims bring the community together to keep our beloved items working and functional.

“Repairs not only save money and resources, they also help reduce waste and emissions. So, if you have a broken kettle or toaster, a jumper that needs a button sewn back on, a stool with a loose leg – don’t throw it away. Bring it along to the Repair Café to bring it back to life.”

The Repair Café is being run by the local community project, “4R’s Waste Reduction in Porlock Vale”, who are a group of volunteers aiming to reduce waste by encouraging businesses and the public to Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Recycle.

The 4R’s project is an initiative of Porlock Parish Council and the Coastal Communities team and has received funding from Somerset County Council.

With this support they have already achieved Plastic Free Status for Porlock Vale, from Surfers Against Sewage, and the Repair Café is their next mission.

If you have a hobby, skill or expertise and would like to volunteer your time to the Repair Café, please contact 4Rsporlockvale@gmail.com