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. At the bottom of this page you will learn about other ways you can reduce waste through ‘scrap or resource stores’ and library of things.

Repair Cafes 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

East Preston Repair Café, Spire Room, St Mary’s Church, Vicarage Lane, East Preston. 2nd Saturday of the month 10 – 12 noon

Handcross Repair Cafe, High St, Handcross, Haywards Heath RH17 6BL.  3rd Saturday of the month 10 – 12 noon. Learn 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 2RG. Last Saturday of each month repairs 10am – 2.30pm. Learn more here

Lancing Repair Cafe, 11 Station Parade, South Street, Lancing BN15 8AA.  3rd Saturday of every month 10am – 11.30am

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

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

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 10.30am -1pm

Brighton Repair Café 33 Southover St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 9UD

Chailey Repair Café Chailey Green, BN8 4DA

Crowborough Repair Café Ashdown Junior School, Herne Road, Crowborough, TN6 2NT

Hollingdean Repair Café (Brighton) Hollingdean Community Centre, Thompson Rd, Brighton BN1 7BH

Mayfield Mayfield & Five Ashes Repair Café Merrieweathers Farm, East Street, Mayfield TN20 6RJ

Newhaven Green Centre Repair Café 2A Fort Rd, Newhaven BN9 9QQ

Prestonville Repair Café – Brighton Exeter Street Hall, Brighton BN1 5PG

Robertsbridge and Brightling Repair Café 11-23 Station Rd, Robertsbridge TN32 5DG

Rye Repair Cafe, Rye Community Centre, Conduit Hill, Rye, TN31 7LE. 2nd Saturday of each month 10.00am – 12.30pm

Seaford Repair Café Mercread Youth Centre, Mercread Rd, Seaford BN25 1AB

Uckfield Repair Café Victoria Pavilion, Victoria Pleasure Ground, Uckfield, , Uckfield TN22 5DJ, UK

These are all the repair cafes we know about just over the border in Surrey

Bletchingley Repair Café Church House, Church Walk, Bletchingley, Redhill RH1 4PD, first Saturday every month 10am – 1pm, https://www.facebook.com/bletchingley.repair.shop

Caterham Repair Cafe, The Westway Centre, 25 Chaldon Road, Caterham, CR3 5PG, second Saturday every month 10.30am -1.00pm https://www.facebook.com/caterham.repair.cafe/

Haslemere Repair Cafe Haslemere Town Hall, High Street, Haselmere, GU27 2HG. 1st Saturday of the month 10am – 1pm

Dorking Repair Café Church Street, Dorking RH4 1DW, first Saturday every month 10.30am – 1pm. https://www.facebook.com/dorkingrepaircafe

Merstham Repair Café 2b Portland Drive, Merstham, RH1 3HY, first Wednesday every month 3-5pm https://www.facebook.com/groups/mersthamrepaircafe

Reigate Repair Café, 3a The Facade, Holmesdale Road, Reigate, RH2 0BB, last Saturday every month 11-2pm https://www.facebook.com/reigaterepaircafe

If you do not see one near to you, carry out an internet search as you might find a new one or visit the Repair Cafe HQ website here.

Library of Things

What is a Library of Things? It is an organisation which loans out items to members of its local community, often items which are rarely needed. By borrowing, renting or sharing products instead of buying new ones, we can protect our fragile ecosystems and help keep the fossil fuels in the ground.

Brighton Borrowers

Dorking Library of Things – coming soon

Godalming Library of Things 

Guildford 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

Lewes Library of Things

There is a Library of Things in these towns: Morden, Bromley, Crystal Palace, Sutton, Pimlico, Woolwich, Canada Water, Wandsworth learn more here

We are keen to set up some of these in Sussex!

Scrap or resource stores

A scrapstore or scrap store is a particular type of organisation centered upon the principle of re-use and may be operated as for profit or not for profit.

The Scrap Space in The Circular Space, Shoreham by Sea.

Resourceful Community Scrapstore in The Bognor Makerspace, 58-60 Longford Road, Bognor Regis, PO21 1AG

Horsham Repair Cafe

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.

Learn more and book here

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.