The BIG FIX 2024
In today’s society, it has become easier than ever to fall into the trap of continuous consumerism. Buy, use, dispose, repeat.
We have become so used to replacing things when they break with the low price of new items and the convenience of next day delivery. Have you ever stopped to think if there was a better way?
The people of Devon certainly have.
What is THE BIG FIX?
In 2019, a call to action was put out for residents of Devon to counter this throwaway culture. Over 40 volunteers from Repair Cafés across Devon joined forces for the world’s first ‘THE BIG FIX’. People across Devon brought in their broken household belongings and a record 268 items were fixed in just one day!
The BIG FIX 2020 saw 2,000 people visit 66 Repair Cafés across the UK. A record 2,253 broken items were fixed at the largest event of its kind, still all in one day!
For 2023, the BIG FIX was so popular it became a month-long event. Over 800 volunteers from Devon and across the UK joined forces to help 2,242 residents fix their broken belongings and prevent them form going to waste. A total of 83 Repair Cafes took part across the month, successfully fixing 2,761 broken items.
These repairs resulted in an emission saving equivalent to flying nearly 80,000 miles, driving 125,500 miles and showering 3,966 times.
What is a Repair Café?
A Repair Café is a free meeting place where people can bring things to be repaired by volunteers in their local community. This can include things such as clothes, furniture, electricals, bikes and toys. There are over 2,000 Repair Cafés worldwide, with the majority found in Europe. Their aims are often to reduce waste, share skills and create a more sustainable society.
Some of the benefits, other than reducing our waste, come from the connection between members of a community. Those involved have told us that they felt a sense of achievement as repairers, they learnt and shared skills, made new friends and felt even more connected with their community.
The question is, what will you take away from THE BIG FIX 2024?
Register for The BIG FIX 2024 here.
Repair Cafe’s taking part in The Big Fix 2024
| Keynsham Repair Cafe | BANES |
| Repair Cafe Leighton Buzzard | Bedfordshire |
| Reading Repair Cafe | Berkshire |
| Woodley Repair Cafe | Berkshire |
| Repair Cafe at Lambs Lane Primary School Spencers Wood | Berkshire |
| Eastside Repair Cafe | Bristol |
| Sparks Repair Cafe | Bristol |
| Marlow Repair Café | Buckinghamshire |
| Ivinghoe & Pitstone Repair Cafe | Buckinghamshire |
| Flackwell Heath Repair Café | Buckinghamshire |
| Newport Pagnell Repair Café | Buckinghamshire |
| Repair cafe Milton Keynes | Buckinghamshire |
| Birchwood Repair Cafe | Cheshire |
| Ulverston Repair Cafe | Cumbria |
| Chesterfield Repair Café | Derbyshire |
| Borrowash Repair Cafe | Derbyshire |
| Buxton Repair Cafe | Derbyshire |
| Wirksworth | Derbyshire |
| Tideswell & District | Derbyshire |
| Transition Crich Share & Repair | Derbyshire |
| Blackdown Hills Repair Cafe – Hemyock | Devon |
| Ashburton Repair Cafe | Devon |
| Tiverton Repair Cafe | Devon |
| Kingsbridge Repair Cafe | Devon |
| HIgh Bickington and Atherington Repair Cafe | Devon |
| Landkey | Devon |
| Barnstaple | Devon |
| Ilfracombe | Devon |
| Proper Job | Devon |
| Uffculme Repair Cafe | Devon |
| Exmouth Repair Café | Devon |
| Bovey & Heathfield Repair Cafe | Devon |
| Chudfix | Devon |
| Sustainable Chulmleigh | Devon |
| Bideford Repair Cafe | Devon |
| Repair Cafe @ Brillsville Market | Devon |
| Ivybridge Repair Cafe | Devon |
| Bradninch Repair Cafe | Devon |
| Gillingham Repair Cafe | Dorset |
| Wimborne Repair Cafe | Dorset |
| WCL Fixers – Baseline, North Kensington | Greater London |
| WCL Fixers – Acton Vale Community Centre | Greater London |
| WCL Fixers – Livat, Hammersmith | Greater London |
| Orpington Repair Cafe | Greater London |
| Charlie Lindsell | Greater London |
| Repair Café Lambeth | Greater London |
| Boothstown Repair Cafe | Greater Manchester |
| HORWICH REPAIR CAFE | Greater Manchester |
| Southampton Repair Cafe | Hampshire |
| Overton Repair Cafe | Hampshire |
| Repair Café Portsmouth | Hampshire |
| Eastleigh Repair Cafe | Hampshire |
| Ringwood Repair Café | Hampshire |
| Baughurst Repair Cafe | Hampshire |
| North Hampshire Repair Cafe | Hampshire |
| Leominster | Herefordshire |
| Royston Repair Cafe | Hertfordshire |
| Tonbridge Repair Cafe | Kent |
| Tunbridge Wells Repair Cafe | Kent |
| Dartford Repair Cafe | Kent |
| Sevenoaks Repair Cafe | Kent |
| Malling Repair Cafe | Kent |
| Dover Repair Cafe | Kent |
| Tonbridge Repair Cafe | Kent |
| Ashford repair cafe | Kent |
| Gravesham Repair Cafe | Kent |
| Petts Wood Repair Cafe | Kent- Greater London |
| Chorley Repair Cafe | Lancashire |
| Moss Side Repair Cafe | Lancashire |
| Woodhouse Eaves Plastic Free Repair Cafe | Leicestershire |
| Louth Repair Cafe | Lincolnshire |
| Sleaford Repair Cafe | Lincolnshire |
| Twickenham Repair Cafe | Middlesex |
| Stokesley and Villages Repair Cafe | North Yorkshire |
| Taunton Repair Cafe | Somerset |
| Lichfield Repair & Share Cafe | Staffordshire |
| Godalming Repair Cafe | Surrey |
| Repair Cafe Rugby | Warwickshire |
| Repair Cafe Kenilworth | Warwickshire |
| Repair Cafe Coventry | West Midlands |
| St John’s Harborne Repair Care | West Midlands |
| Transition Worthing Repair Cafe | West Sussex |
| Arundel Repair Cafe | West Sussex |
| Hassocks Repair Cafe | West Sussex |
| Burgess Hill Repair Cafe | West Sussex |
| Over the Mood – Adur Repair Cafe | West Sussex |
| Partridge Green Repair Cafe | West Sussex |
| Mytholmroyd | West Yorkshire |
| Heptonstall Repair Cafe | West Yorkshire |
| Skircoat | West Yorkshire |
| Lover Repair Cafe | Wiltshire |
| Wirral Repair Café | Wirral, Merseyside |
| Repair Cafe Worcester | Worcestershire |
| Repair Cafe Belfast | County Antrim |
| Repair Café Foyle | Derry |
| Repair Café Carryduff | Down |
| East Linton (Fixing for a Future) | East Lothian |
| The Black Door Shop | East Renfrewshire |
| Dairsie Repair Cafe | Fife |
| Black Isle Repair Cafe | Highlands Ross and Cromarty (Black isle) |
| Presteigne Repair and Share | Powys |
| Machynlleth Repair Cafe | Powys |
| Repair cafe wales | Wales |
| Oswestry & Borders | Powys & Shropshire |
