CAMPAIGNERS are launching a cafe with a difference in the hope of encouraging people to repair and reuse their old household items.

Sustainable Didcot has received a £1,650 grant from South Oxfordshire district councillor Mocky Khan towards setting up a ‘repair cafe’ in the town.

The first session will be held on February 17 in the All Saints Community Hall between 4.30pm and 7.30pm.

People with broken items will be paired with experts who love fixing things in the hope of reducing the amount of junk thrown away every year.

Ed Polehampton, from Sustainable Didcot, said: “We’ve been assembling a team of enthusiastic volunteers who have expertise in electrical items, computers, watches, clocks, and clothes and fabrics.

“We’ll also be able to glue broken things and sharpen tools.

“The volunteers are keen to share their knowledge, and we’re aiming for a relaxed social atmosphere with tea, coffee and cakes provided.”

The project is the first step towards plans to create a more permanent reuse centre for Didcot in the future.

It forms part of a county-wide effort to tackle waste electrical items with similar events being held nearby in Wantage, Wallingford and Chinnor.

Support and training for the initiative has been provided by the Oxfordshire Community Action Group Network and Oxfordshire County Council.

Mr Khan, whose grant is supporting the events in Didcot, said: “The councillor community grant scheme is about supporting local groups to deliver great initiatives and Sustainable Didcot’s ‘Repair Cafe’, is one of these.

Revitalising electrical items, household goods and other items to be used again or by others will challenge our throwaway culture and waste.”

Sustainable Didcot is also planning to run more events throughout the year including teaming up with the Broken Spoke Bicycle Coop in Oxford to bring some free bicycle maintenance sessions to Didcot in the summer.

Visit sustainabledidcot.org.uk