Blackdown Hills Repair Café

Blackdown Hills Repair Café was launched in March 2018. Held on the fourth Saturday of every other month in Hemyock, the repair café has become a very popular and much-enjoyed event. It draws 80-100 people each time, with around 120 items being repaired or sharpened at each event.

We repair electrical items, bicycles, clocks, watches, furniture, garden tools, computers, musical instruments, sewing machines, textiles and much more, and offer a knife and tool sharpening service. We have a repair success rate of over 74%!

Not only can members of the public get items repaired instead of throwing them away, but the repair café also provides the community with a place where they can meet and enjoy a chat together. While they wait for their repair to take place, they can enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake, or even a bacon butty!

The Repair Cafe has seen a steady increase in participation and items brought for repair, offering a practical solution to reduce waste and extend the lifespan of products. To date, the Blackdown Hills Repair Cafe has received 4160 items and successfully repaired 3097 of them. This effort has led to significant environmental benefits, including the prevention of 3.43 tonnes of waste and the saving of 6.47 tonnes of CO2 emissions in the 2023/24 period alone!

Last year, we took part in Recycle Devons BIG FIX. 83 Repair Cafés and 800 volunteers took part, mending 2,761 items and saving 48 tonnes of CO2. Many cakes and biscuits were served alongside many more cups of tea and coffee!

We owe our success to all our volunteers who help organise the repair café, carry out the repairs, help with administration and publicity and prepare the refreshments. We are very grateful for their support. People from over 20 locations across the Blackdown Hills, from Chard to Exeter volunteer. The repairers’ dedication extends beyond the local area, as they participate in other Repair Cafes in nearby towns and villages.