CLEVEDON Repair Café returns on Saturday (September 9) after a summer break.

The community initiative where volunteers use their skills and expertise to help fix things has so far prevented more than 500 items from going to landfill.

The repair team is made up of people with a wide range of skills including woodwork, electronics, IT, textiles, bikes, mechanics, ceramics, book binding/document advice and knife sharpening.

People arrive with whatever they need fixing and can enjoy some homemade cakes and a drink as they watch the repair. Repairs are carried out for free, but a donation towards running costs is always welcome.

The international Repair Café movement also aims to encourage people to develop their own repair skills by sharing knowledge so this month the Clevedon Repair Café will launch the first of a series of repair workshops.

Run by Peter Smith, who is the café’s bike volunteer, this month’s workshop will guide attendees through fixing a puncture and how to deal with common problems encountered on a ride such as the chain coming off.

Future workshops will cover further bike checks and some simple sewing repairs such as replacing buttons, repairing holes or replacing zips.

The workshop lasts approximately 45 minutes and there will be two sessions between 10am and 11am and 11am and 12 noon.

Places are limited, so please book your place by emailing clare.clevedonrepaircafe@btinternet.com.

Each attendee will receive a puncture repair kit so that they can take their new skills home and apply them.

The Repair Café takes place on the second Saturday of each month between 10am and 12pm at the 2nd Clevedon Scout Hall on Coleridge Vale Rd North, BS21 6NL.

Further information is available at www.clevedonrepaircafe.co.uk or via our Facebook page.