A REPAIR cafe in Basingstoke has held an event to help residents make use of their damaged items.

Chineham Repair Cafe was opened in January 2023 by Shane Bennett and Jonnie Jenkin. 

Based at the Christ Church in Reading Road, the cafe holds sessions to fix items to prevent them from going into landfills.

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The cafe's recent session, held on Saturday, October 19, saw residents from across Basingstoke take their damaged possessions ranging from bicycles, sewing machines, garden tools and more to be repaired.

Skilled volunteers, versed in fields including knife sharpening, IT repairs, electrical repairs, wood repairs and sewing and textiles offer their skills to fix broken or damaged items.

Residents are invited to sit down and enjoy tea, coffee or a free book whilst waiting before they sit down with their 'repairer' to watch them finish the job.

The community initiative 'teaches people to see their possessions in a new light' and 'appreciate their value' according to the cafe's website.

Since the establishment of the repair cafe in 2023, 1,209kg of waste has been prevented from entering landfills across 21 events with 538 items worked on and 415 fixed.

The event on October 19 also coincided with International Repair Day, an annual day promoting the role that repairing and reusing possessions can play in reducing waste and preserving resources.

The cafe will hold its next event on November 16, with all residents encouraged to take along clothes, toys, garden tools, computers, furniture and small appliances that may otherwise be thrown away.

For more information on items that can or can't be repaired, visit chinehamrepair.org.uk