We are all noticing the impact that climate change is having on our lives and many of us are becoming more environmentally aware, trying to live sustainably and reduce waste wherever possible. There is a community action group in Didcot who are working hard to reduce Didcot’s impact on this global threat. Established in 2010, Sustainable Didcot began life as a swap shop to encourage recycling. The group follows the 1987 UN’s Brundtland Commission definition of Sustainability: “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
Sustainable Didcot has since grown with a number of activities initiated to help reduce Didcot’s carbon footprint. They have been members of the Low Carbon Hub CIC since 2016, when they conducted a successful thermal imaging project to raise awareness of the importance of insulation, helping people improve the energy efficiency of their homes and reducing fuel bills wherever possible.
However, as the recession is biting hard, many of us are looking at ways that instead of buying a new electrical item, computer, or bicycle, we would like to get them repaired. Thanks to Sustainable Didcot which runs a Repair Café involving expert volunteer fixers, you may be able to give your household item that is not currently working a new lease of life. The Repair Café is held monthly on a Saturday afternoon from 2pm to 5pm at Soha Makespace on Lydalls Road, Didcot OX11 7NN. Dates are shown on their website but for the first quarter of 2023 will be 21 January, 18 February and 18 March.
The expert volunteers are particularly interested in repairing electrical items, including computers, as part of a large county-wide project to tackle waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Your electrical item will be PAT tested once repairs are undertaken to ensure it is safe.
Other items which can be repaired include:
- Advice with simple computer problems relating to hardware and software or a tune-up
- Glueing broken items, including china and plastic toys
- Mending clothes/up-cycling/fabric crafts
- Clocks, watches, and mechanical items
- Jewellery
- Sharpening kitchen knives and gardening tools
- Bicycles which will be seen outside
Sustainable Didcot’s Repair Café is not trying to compete with professional repair shops in or close to the town. If they are unable to repair the item or do not have the necessary spares, they have a list of the best places to take items for repair locally. If something really is unfixable, they would prefer you to take it back and recycle it in the most appropriate way. If your item is heavy and you cannot easily carry it, it is worth contacting Sustainable Didcot first.
The idea of the Repair Café is to provide a friendly, community place where people can come along and learn what needs to be done. This way, they can gain knowledge from the experts. The Repair Café does however rely on the expertise of their volunteer fixers so if you have a particular skill and would like to become involved, please contact sustainabledidcot@gmail.com. The Repair Café is all about helping people fix things in a collaborative way and sharing skills.
Sustainable Didcot organises many other activities that may also contribute to helping with the cost-of-living crisis. These include Swish (a clothes swap event) and Freecycle events, as well as a community allotment. They have also launched Project RED (Reducing Energy use in Didcot) and are focusing on helping make Didcot homes more efficient and promoting active travel. Most events take place in the Makespace Area of the Soha Building, where Sustainable Didcot is now based along with Didcot Community Partnership and other local community organisations. Access to the Makespace Area is at the rear of the building through the red door on the Lydalls Road side of the street.
To find out more about the work Sustainable Didcot does and to get involved please visit sustainabledidcot.org.uk or Facebook Sustainable Didcot. Their schedule of events is shown on the home page of their website.
