In her regular WSCT column Councillor Joanne Knowles, Chairperson of Horsham District Council, took us behind the scenes of community life following her recent visit. Her column shares stories from across our District, shining a light on the people, places and projects that make our community thrive and celebrating the spirit of our District. Fix […]
What if, before replacing something that stops working, we asked: Can it be repaired?
Repair does not have to mean being an expert with a toolbox. It can mean finding out whether something can be fixed before buying a replacement, learning a simple skill, asking someone with experience for help or visiting a local Repair Café.
Sussex is fortunate to have a community of volunteers making this possible. Sussex Green Living launched West Sussex’s first Repair Café in Horsham in 2017 and has supported the development of many others. There are now 19 in West Sussex bring people together to share practical knowledge and give broken household items another chance. Read more
Although we are a tiny country, of all the countries in the world, only the massive USA is worse than us in terms of wasting clothes!
Even cheap fashion has a secret cost, and it’s a surprisingly big cost if we consider how and where clothes are manufactured, by whom, how they’re transported here, how many times they’re worn, and where in the world they are taken before being dumped or burned! Read more
Sussex Green Living is appealing to the public to keep going with a plastic free life in 2026 and beyond.
Why is recycling plastic not enough? While some of the plastic we recycle is turned into new products, much of it is exported or incinerated. Although energy recovery from burning plastic is often counted within waste management, plastic is made from fossil fuels that took millions of years to form, so burning it is not a sustainable solution. The biggest climate impact, however, comes long before plastic reaches us. According to the OECD, around 90% of greenhouse gas emissions from plastics occur during production and manufacturing. Read more
Following a competitive application process, Sussex Green Living has been selected to take part in the Big Give Earth Raise—a national match-funding campaign launching on Earth Day 22 April.
From noon Wednesday 22 April to noon Wednesday 29 April every donation made through the campaign will be matched, meaning a £50 donation becomes £100 to support the charity’s work across Sussex.
Run by Big Give, the campaign brings together philanthropists, foundations, and businesses to match public donations. Over the years, Big Give has raised approximately £427 million for thousands of charities. NOTE: 30th April – WE ACHIEVED OUR TARGET!
Across Sussex, people are proving that repair is not a thing of the past but part of the future we need to build. From Storrington to Horsham, Lewes to Brighton, Repair Cafés show what a circular economy looks like in everyday life: people coming together to fix broken things, share knowledge and stop waste before it starts.
Last weekend marked International Repair Day, but for the volunteers and visitors at Repair Cafés across Sussex, repair is not just a day, it is a habit that keeps growing. These monthly meet-ups are practical and sociable. A kettle, a radio or a pair of trousers comes in broken and often goes home working again. What stays behind is something less tangible but just as valuable: connection, confidence and community.
In a small workshop in Haywards Heath, cricket bats are being restored to life. Barney Morris, better known as Barney Bats, repairs around 50 damaged bats each week. After a busy weekend of matches, his workbench can resemble a triage unit as bats arrive in need of care and attention.
Morris, who runs the cricket department at Wisdom Sports in town, is on a mission to prove that a cracked bat need not be discarded. His passion began when he started fixing senior bats for junior players, driven by the high cost of new kit. “The price of cricket bat willow means getting a good bat is really expensive,” he explained. “Now I get donated adult bats which I can repair and resize for children and I can sell them at a fraction of the cost of a new bat.” Read more
Across West Sussex, more and more communities are finding simple ways to cut waste and make the most of what they already have. Whether it’s fixing broken items, passing on unwanted goods or switching to refillable options, people are discovering that small changes can make a big difference.
At Sussex Green Living, we’re working to promote practical solutions like these through our support for repair cafés, new refill initiatives and by sharing inspiring stories from across the county. One group that really caught our attention is based just outside Worthing, where bicycles are getting a new lease of life, along with the people who ride them.
What do you do with an unwanted bicycle? Down here on the coast, we contacted Durrington Community Cycle Project (DCCP), who are tired of seeing bikes end up in landfill. Instead, they show customers how to repair their bikes and keep them cycling safely. What’s more, they’ve integrated the whole repair and reuse ethos into the heart of their local community.
You know that big bag of old clothes you dropped off at the charity shop after having a wardrobe declutter? You probably felt a warm glow of generosity by donating your unwanted bits to a good cause (and it’s probably also a relief to get all that clutter out of sight by conveniently handing it all over to someone else, right?). What if I told you that only between 10% and 30% of second-hand donations are resold in store. What happens to all the rest?
The clothes that charity shops can’t sell are taken away and in the UK, 70% of used clothing is exported to the Global South. Once there, many clothes end up in landfills or incinerated. This has major impacts on health and the environment, including water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, worsening the strain on countries already struggling with waste management infrastructure. Read more
Growing together – Food – Fun – Family – FreeFrom 10am-4pm on Saturday 26th April, Horsham will come alive to celebrate green living in Sussex – perfect for mums, dads, and little ones alike. It’s a day packed with local food, expert talks and eco-friendly fun that will inspire you and your family to live more sustainably. Spread across four unique venues in central Horsham, come along for a day of free goodies, family-friendly activities, and caring community vibes at the Plant to Plate Festival! Read more
The White House
Coolham Lane
Coneyhurst
RH14 9DH
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SDNPA/A.K.Purkiss
Sussex Green Living
Alfomedeiros
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Sussex Green Living
Sussex Green Living
Pexel