The four Cafés are the Friends of Bilbrook, the Harbourne St John’s Church, the Roliston Forestry and Highley Shropshire. They’re all located in the West Midlands and the surrounding area.
As well as supporting the cafés with operating costs, the funding will enable them to run outreach programmes in the local community, to build awareness of the importance of repair for the environment. The Highley Shropshire, for example, plans to liaise with a local primary school to teach children the basics of repair and reuse.
The most common items repaired are said to be garden tools, small electronics, such as lamps, radios and family heirlooms.
Invaluable for the community
Karl Smyth, enfinium’s director, external affairs and strategic policy, said: “To achieve a sustainable economy, it is important that the UK reduces the amount of waste it produces. This is why enfinium are committed to supporting repair café initiatives in the communities in which we operate, such as West Bromwich. We are thrilled to provide funding to these four repair cafés to support their invaluable work in the local community.”
Since March 2024, six repair cafés have received funding from enfinium’s £60,000 ‘Repair Café Support Fund’. The fund was set up to support cafés within a 30-mile radius of one of enfinium’s facilities in Kent, North Wales, West Yorkshire or the West Midlands.
enfinium’s Repair Café Support Fund will reopen on 1 January 2025, and run until 31 May 2025. Eligible repair cafés can apply for funding of up to £1,500 per annum before the May deadline here.
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