We have a waste problem – an electrical and textile waste problem.
The UK is the 2nd largest producer of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) per capita in the world. In 2019, the UK produced a total of 1.6 million tonnes of e-waste in, equating to approximately 23.9kg of waste per person.
We have fallen in love with fast fashion with the average lifespan of an item of clothing in the UK lasting only 3.3 years before its discarded. In 2021/22 West Sussex residents threw away nearly 5,800 tonnes of unwanted clothes, towels, blankets and sheets into their general rubbish, even though most of these textiles could have been repaired, reused or recycled.
One solution is visiting a repair cafe. There are approx. 170 repair cafes in the UK and growing, and over 2,000 across the world. Repair cafes are run by volunteers who look to mend electrical, mechanical and textile items, preventing them from being thrown away.
Repair Cafes in Sussex
These are all the repair cafes we know about in Sussex:
West Sussex
Adur Repair Cafe The Circular Space, Shoreham by Sea. Sessions are on the 1st Saturday of each month 10am – 12pm. Find out more HERE
Amberley Repair Cafe at the Amberley Eco Hub – St Michael’s Church Hall, Church Street, Amberley, BN18 9ND. 4th Saturday of the month 10- 12 noon. Refills and recycling too. Contact:
Arundel Repair Cafe The Norfolk Centre, Mill Road, Arundel, BN18 9PA. 3rd Saturday of each month 10am – 12.30pm
Ashington Repair Cafe Ashington Church, London Road, Ashington, RH20 3JR. 1st Saturday of every other month 10am – 12pm
BN44 Repair Cafe, Steyning, Bramber and Upper Beeding Beeding & Bramber Village Hall, High Street, Upper Beeding, BN44 3WN 2nd Saturday of the month. 2-4pm
Burgess Hill Repair Cafe The Kiln Community space (opposite Burgess Hill Library in the Martlets Shopping Centre), Burgess Hill, RH15 9NN. 2nd Saturday of every month 10am – 1pm
Chichester Repair Cafe The Earth Cafe, The Guide Hall, 29 Whyke Lane, PO19 7US. 4th Friday of the month (except August)
Crawley Down & Turners Hill Repair Cafe Hophurst Lane, Crawley Down, RH10 4LJ. 4th Saturday of the month, 10.30am – 12.30pm. Find out more HERE
Hassocks Repair Cafe URC Church Hall in Hassocks. 4th Saturday (Hassocks Market day) of every month (apart from December and August) 10am -1pm
Henfield Repair Cafe Henfield Haven, Hewitts, Henfield, BN5 9RL. 3rd Saturday of the month, 10am – 12 noon. Contact:
Horsham Repair Cafe which we run, takes place within our Sussex Green Hub, United Reformed Church, 45 Springfield Rd, Horsham, RH12 1PT. Last Saturday of each month repairs 10am – 2.30pm. Learn more here
Lindfield Repair Cafe United Reformed Church, 52 High Street, Lindfield, West Sussex, RH16 2HL. 1st Saturday of each month 10 – 1pm
Partridge Green Repair Cafe -Partridge Green Village Hall, High Street, Partridge Green, RH13 8HX. 3rd Saturday of the month 2-4pm. For more information, email – launch May 2023 thanks to our work using Horsham District Community Climate Fund
Pulborough Repair Cafe (part of the monthly village market), Village Hall, Swan View, Pulborough, RH20 2BF. 4th Saturday of the month 9am – 12 noon – launch 23rd March 2024 thanks to our work using Horsham District Community Climate Fund
Shipley Repair Cafe Within the Shipley Community Hub, The Andrew Hall, Shipley, RH13 8PH. 1st Tuesday of every month 11am – 4pm
Storrington Repair Cafe The Village Hub, The Square, Storrington, RH20 4DJ. 3rd Saturday of each month, 10am – 12noon
Worthing Repair Cafe Friends/Quaker Meeting House, 34 Mill Rd, Worthing, BN11 5DR. Last Saturday of each month 10am – 4pm
Library of Things Share Haywards Heath, 1st Lindfield Scout Hut, Eastern Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 2LP – rather than buy, borrow a wide variety of home and garden items you may only need for a short period of time – Tuesdays 9.30am-11am and Saturdays 9am-10am
East Sussex
Forest Row Repair Cafe Community Centre, Hartfield Road, Forest Row, RH18 5DZ. 3rd Saturday of each month
Lewes Repair Cafe Landport Community Hub, Landport Road, Lewes, BN7 2SU. 1st Saturday of each month 2 – 5pm
Patcham Repair Cafe, Patcham Community Centre , Ladies Mile Road, Patcham, Brighton, BN18EA. 2nd Saturday of each month 10.30.an -1pm
Just over the border in Surrey
Haslemere Repair Cafe Haslemere Town Hall, High Street, Haselmere, GU27 2HG. 1st Saturday of the month 10am – 1pm
With lots of volunteers we run the Horsham Repair Café. It takes place on the last Saturday every month, 10am to 2.30pm at the United Reformed Church as part of Sussex Green Hub.
We repair small household electrical, mechanical items, ornaments, toys, clothes and bikes. We ask you to sit with the volunteer repairer while they try and fix your item, they will happily talk you through what they are doing. You may go away with a fixed item and a new skill! Voluntary donations are welcome.
The Horsham Repair Cafe was the first repair cafe in West Sussex and opened its doors in October 2017, there are now about 19 in West Sussex. There is a big demand so we ask that you book an appointment for the Horsham Repair Cafe. Some repair cafes operate on a first come first served basis.
Live in another area?
Many Repair Cafes can be found via the Repair Cafe International’s website, take a look. Bear in mind that not all of them register on this site, so if you don’t find one on this page or the Repair Cafe site, you could carry out an internet search of your area.