Are you having a declutter after the festive season?
Here are some good homes for your unwanted items – according to Derbyshire County Council:

Do you have local What’s App and Facebook groups where items can be sold, exchanged or given away? These are often good for rehoming toys, which can also be donated to charity shops, or put in a toy bank at one of the council’s Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).
For information about your local HWRC go to here

If broken, can it be mended free of charge at one of the 18 Repair Cafes in Derbyshire?

A council spokesman further explained: “Repair cafés are a worldwide network on a mission to cut waste and build up repair skills.
“There are 19 repair cafés across Derbyshire, in: Bakewell, Baslow, Belper, Borrowash, Buxton, Chesterfield, Crich, Darley Dale, Derby, Glossop, Hadfield, Long Eaton, New Mills, Quarndon, Stanley Village (near Ilkeston), Tideswell, Tupton, Wirksworth, and Woodville.
“If you know of others that we can add to this list please email news@derbyshire.gov.uk. If you are interested in setting up a repair café the ‘Community Repair Network’ can provide help and information.”
They continued: “If you have something that needs fixing, your local repair café may be able to help you mend it. This helps prevent items being thrown out needlessly and saves the cost of buying a replacement. It’s better for the environment too with less materials and energy needed to make new goods.
“Volunteer repairers can tackle small electrical items such as toasters, hairdryers, lamps, radios and headphones. Clothing, garden tools, bikes, computers, hand tools and small items of furniture can also be considered for repair.
“The repair service is free but donations are very welcome.
“An important aspect of the work of the cafés is about empowering people to be able to do their own repairs in the future. Where possible you’ll sit with the repairer and learn from them. This may be something like replacing a fuse, mending a ripped jacket or cleaning an item to keep it working properly. People cannot leave items and then pick them up later.
“The cafés are very sociable events – often with free or low cost refreshments and a sense of community.
“All the cafés welcome enquiries from potential volunteers with relevant skills and qualifications. Please contact them direct.”

Derbyshire Repair Cafés

Bakewell Repair Café organised by Rotary Club of Bakewell. Meet monthly from 10am to midday at: Bakewell Methodist Church Hall, Matlock Street, Bakewell. DE45 1EL.
Refreshments available. Contact Margie, tel: 01629 813638 or 07947 645331.

Baslow Repair Café is organised by, and hosted at: St Anne’s Church, 1 Church Street, Baslow. DE45 1RY. Meets from 10am to 1pm on the following dates: Saturday 3 February 2024, Saturday 6 April 2024, Saturday 1 June 2024. Refreshments are available. Plant swaps, produce stalls and book stalls. Tel: 01433 630930 or email: hello@stannesbaslow.org.uk. Donations help to fund toilets in developing countries.

Belper Beau Repair Café organised by Transition Belper. Meets on the fourth Saturday of every month from 10am to 1pm at: No 28, The Market Place, Belper. DE56 1FZ. Contact Layla Marshall email: laylatransition1@hotmail.com or tel: 07970 277358.

Borrowash Repair Café meets on the third Saturday of the month from 9.30am to 12.30pm (last entry at midday) at Borrowash Methodist Church Hall, Chapel Row, Borrowash. DE72 3LR.
Help with electrical, IT, non-electrical, textile and bikes repairs. Also jewellery cleaning and advice, and quotes. Sewing machine basic repairs and quotes for servicing. Repairs are free but cash donations towards running costs are very gratefully received. Drinks and biscuits are available and there is a themed creative corner each month (for example, learn to crochet, card and gift tag making). All ages welcome. There is also a crochet café for anyone from beginners to experts once a month in the same venue. The sessions alternate between the third Friday afternoon in the month (1pm to 3pm) and the third Saturday morning in the month (which coincides with the repair café). Email borrowashrepaircafe@gmail.com

Buxton Repair Café organised by Transition Buxton. Meets on the fourth Saturday of the month (except July and December) from 9.30am to 1pm at: Buxton Methodist Church, Market Place, Buxton. SK17 6HX. Fairtrade refreshments available to purchase. Contact Jean Ball tel: 07770 416649 or email: repaircafe@transitionbuxton.co.uk

Chesterfield Repair Café organised by Transition Chesterfield. Usually meets on the third Saturday of the month from 10am to 1pm at: Baptist Church, 15 Cross Street, Chesterfield. S40 4ST. Email: repairs@transitionchesterfield.org.uk

Crich Repair Café and Green Exchange. Organised by Transition Crich and held regularly. See ‘Transition Crich’ on Facebook for future dates. They offer many skilled repairers including electrical and stitchers. Climate-friendly refreshments and lots of information about living more sustainably. At Crich Glebe Field Community Centre, Glebe Field Close, Crich. DE4 5EU. Email transitioncrich@gmail.com. Tel: 07960 494130.

Darley Dale Repair Café organised by Darley Dale Town Council. Sundays in 2024: 31 March, 30 June and 29 September from 10am to 1pm. Meets at: The Whitworth, Brunel Room, Station Road, Darley Dale. DE4 2EQ. Refreshments available. Donations welcome to help with the continuation of future repair cafés. Contact Darley Dale Town Council, tel: 01629 735248.

Derby Repair Café meets on the first Saturday of every month (except August) 1pm to 4pm at: West End Community Centre, Mackworth Road, Derby. DE22 3BL. Repairs of bikes, electrical item, toys, clothing and more in a fun and friendly atmosphere with homemade cake and tea. Email: admin@derbyrepaircafe.org.uk

Glossop Repair Café. Details: here

Hadfield Repair Café organised by Hadfield Methodist Church. They meet on the third Saturday of the month from 10am to 1pm at: Hadfield Methodist Church, 99 Station Road, Hadfield. SK13 1AR. Fairtrade refreshments and home-made cakes available to purchase. Contact email: hadfieldrepaircafe@gmail.com.

Long Eaton Repair Café and Swap Shop. Meets at: Infusion Coffee House, Derby Road, Long Eaton. NG10 4LB. The events alternate between the repair café and swap shop and run every other month on a Saturday afternoon. Contact Isobel Holloway, email: aitone.collective@gmail.com or tel: 07594 962703.

New Mills Repair Café organised by Transition New Mills. Meets on the last Saturday of the month from 10am to midday at: New Mills Volunteer Centre, 33-35 Union Road, New Mills. SK22 3EL Email: nmrepaircafe@hotmail.com

Quarndon Repair Café. Organised by Quarndon Events and Quarndon Community Group. Meets on the last Saturday of every month from 10am to midday at: Quarndon Village Hall, 122 Church Road, Quarndon. DE22 5JA. Coffee and homemade cake. Bring a repair or just pop in for a chat and cake. Donations welcome to help offset expenses. Email: quarndonrepaircafe@gmail.com

Stanley Village Repair Café organised by the Stanley Village Community Association. Held at: Stanley Village Hall, Park Avenue, Stanley, near Ilkeston. DE7 6FF. There’s a community café and there is also free school uniform bank. Email stanley.village@btinternet.com

Tideswell and District Repair Café organised by Tideswell and District Environment Group (TDEG). Meets on the third Saturday of the month (except August and December) from 10am to 1pm (last submission of items by 12.30pm) at: Tideswell Community Hall, Church Lane, Tideswell. SK17 8PD. Refreshments available and donations encouraged. Email: repaircafe@tdeg.org.uk

Tupton Repair Cafe meets on the second Saturday of each month from 9.30am to 11.30am at: Tupton Rugby Club, North Side, Tupton. S42 6BW. Refreshments available and donations welcome to offset expenses.

Wirksworth Repair Café organised by Transition Wirksworth at Wirksworth United Reform Church and Wellspring Church. They meet on the first Saturday of every month from 9.30am to 12.30pm at: Wellspring Church Hall, St John’s Street. DE4 4DS. Contact Hilary Hebron email: hilaryhebron@gmail.com.

Woodville Repair Café organised by Circularity.org. Meets on the second Saturday of each month from 10am to 1pm at: Circularity Hub, 1 Hartshorne Road, Woodville. DE11 7JB. More volunteer repairers are always welcome.

Most of the above Repair Cafes also have Facebook pages where people can find the latest information and dates of cafes.

All of the above information has been taken from the Derbyshire County Council website here
Please check the same site for up to date information.

Do you run a repair cafe or similar initiative in the Alfreton area? Email our Editor Belinda at editor@spiritof.uk, or upload your story direct to our website here