Market Harborough Fixers receive donation to help continue sustainable work in the town

An upcycling group in Market Harborough has received a donation to help it continue its sustainable work.

Market Harborough Fixers runs a voluntary repair café in the town with more than 1,100 members. Volunteers teach residents how to repair and upcycle small household equipment, textiles, clothing, books, pictures, jewellery and toys in order to reduce landfill and promote a sustainable way of living.

And the group has received a £1,000 donation from developer Persimmon Homes as part of its community champion initiative.

Since the group formed it has held 78 weekly events with 147 volunteers giving a cumulative 1,053 hours of their time.

Spokesman Steve Cousens said: “We’re absolutely delighted by this kind donation from Persimmon Homes. Our goal is to promote the environmental benefits that reusing and fixing old items rather than throwing them away has, with our volunteers being the backbone of what we do. So far, we’ve prevented over 1,700kg of waste and saved over 1400kg of CO2 emissions – the same as driving for over 72,000 miles.

“Persimmon’s donation will allow us to continue our work in the town, promoting a sustainable way of life.”

Persimmon Homes spokeswoman Claire Dearsley added: “We’re delighted to show our support to Market Harborough Fixers. What we do is about much more than just building homes, it’s about leaving a lasting positive legacy in the communities that we build in. We’re always delighted to help causes that have such a positive impact on our environment and encourage sustainability.”