A new repair café where residents can get broken belongings fixed and learn how to repair items themselves has been launched with the help of a £10,000 climate grant.

Petersfield Climate Action Network (PeCAN) used funding from East Hampshire District Council’s Community Climate Action Fund to help establish the Petersfield Repair Café at Avenue Pavilion.

The volunteer-run café takes place on the last Saturday afternoon of every month, with residents invited to bring along broken items to be repaired and pick up skills to fix things themselves.

More than 200 people have already brought more than 150 items to the café to be looked at or repaired.

The £10,000 grant has also supported a wider programme of events and public engagement organised by PeCAN.

This included a screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing at The Petersfield School in May, followed by a debate attended by Damian Hinds MP.

PeCAN has also organised talks, walks and activities including maintaining riverbanks.

Cllr Robert Mocatta, East Hampshire District Council portfolio holder for regeneration and prosperity, said: “Climate Action Networks help organise grass-roots action and provide practical support to residents in making changes that will reduce their impact on the climate and environment.

“We’ve worked closely with PeCAN for several years and they’ve put the CCAF funding we’ve provided to really good use.”

Patricia Exley, team leader at PeCAN, said: “The CCAF funding is helping us to reach more residents this year, building community resilience to the changing climate.

“We have engaged hundreds of families through talks, walks, and activities such as maintaining riverbanks. The new repair cafe is a great success, and we encourage everyone to visit us on the last Saturday of the month.”

The fifth round of applications to the Community Climate Action Fund will open at 9am on September 4 and close at 11.59pm on October 5.