Repair cafes could soon be coming to your neighbourhood in Newtown.
Open Energy, a three-year initiative funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, is helping Newtown residents save energy, cut costs, and "embrace the circular economy."
The project has hosted events that encourage repair, reuse, and community sharing and is now taking it on the road around Newtown with the first one at Treowen Community Hall on 8 February.
"So far, Open Energy’s events held at Hafan yr Afon have included swap shops and workshops, offering free access to second-hand clothes, books, toys, and more," said an Open Energy spokesperson.
"Their collaboration with local organisations has been a highlight, including a hugely successful ‘Sustainable Fashion Week’ event with the Textile Junkies in September 2024, which attracted around 300 attendees and featured textile repair workshops."
Now, Open Energy is gearing up to take repair cafés and swap shops “on the road,” bringing repair services and workshops to different parts of Newtown.
"Repair cafés are a free meeting place where attendees can get items fixed for free, extending the life of items and preventing them from ending up in landfill. These mobile repair cafés will build on their growing network of “fixperts” while continuing to support a culture of repair and reuse," added the spokesperson.
Their next event will take place on Saturday February 8th, at Treowen Community Hall 12pm-4pm. The event is open to ALL, and residents are encouraged to attend even if you don’t have anything to swap or repair.
Attendees can look forward to:
Swap Shop: Exchange clothes, books, and children’s toys for free.
Repair Services: Fix textiles, soft toys (with Textile Junkies), bikes (with Bike to the Future), and computers (with Bluesdigital).
Other Activities: Enjoy a children’s craft workshop, information stalls, food, and refreshments—all at no cost.
For more information, contact Open Energy at openenergy@opennewtown.org.uk.