We packed our toolkit (metaphorically speaking) and headed to the Houses of Parliament to show MPs that repair and reuse is thriving in North Devon, and that with the right support, it can go so much further.

*Sue Williamson from the High Bickington & Ashreigney Repair Cafe and Anne-Marie Eveleigh from EAND at the House of Commons.*

At the end of March, EAND had the privilege of joining representatives from over 100 repair cafes across the UK at a very special event: a repair cafe right in the heart of Parliament, hosted by The Restart Project and Back Market. We were there alongside our brilliant friend and collaborator Sue Williamson from the High Bickington and Atherington Repair Cafe, representing not just our own work but the entire North Devon Repair Cafe Network.

The atmosphere was electric. Volunteer fixers, campaigners, politicians, and school children all came together in one of the most iconic buildings in the country to celebrate something that doesn't get nearly enough attention: the power of repair.

Why were we there?

The UK Government is currently developing its Circular Economy Growth Plan, due to be published this spring. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to put repair and reuse at the heart of national policy, and the repair community wanted to make sure our voices were heard.

Four in five people in the UK want the government to support repair more. It saves money, reduces waste, and is deeply rewarding. But right now, it's often harder than it needs to be. Spare parts are expensive, design makes things difficult to fix, and repair services attract VAT in a way that buying brand-new doesn't. That simply isn't fair and it needs to change.

The Repair and Reuse Declaration

At the heart of the event was the Repair and Reuse Declaration – a commitment signed by MPs, community groups, businesses and councils calling for real policy change. We're thrilled to share that our local MP, Ian Roome, has signed the Declaration. That's a huge win and shows that North Devon's voice is being heard in Westminster.

The Declaration calls on the Government to take these steps:

Make repair more affordable – through VAT removal on repair services and repair voucher schemes funded by manufacturers.
Expand the right to repair to cover all consumer products, including smartphones, laptops and vacuum cleaners, not just a handful of appliances.
Help people choose repairable products by introducing a repair index at the point of sale.
Support a new generation of repairers through training, accreditation and apprenticeships.
Require reuse to be prioritised over recycling by waste processors.

85% of people in the UK support extending the Right to Repair to all devices. 80% support removing VAT from repair services. This isn't a niche issue, it's something the public overwhelmingly wants.

Repair is alive and kicking in North Devon

One of the most important things we wanted to show at the event was that repair culture isn't just something that happens in cities. Here in North Devon, we have a vibrant, growing network of community repair groups doing extraordinary work. From High Bickington to Braunton, volunteers give up their time every month to help their neighbours fix things rather than throw them away – saving money, reducing landfill, and building community connections along the way.

Sue from High Bickington and Atherington Repair Cafe was a wonderful presence at the event, embodying exactly what makes North Devon's repair scene so special: friendly, skilled, community-driven, and utterly committed.

“Repair is something we can all do to save money and reduce waste, but it’s often too hard to fix our stuff. We want to show that repair is popular, and that government support to help us give things a second life will also be popular.”

— Fiona Dear, Co-Director, The Restart Project

But we need your help – especially in Torridge

While we're celebrating the fact that our local MP has signed the Declaration, not every northern Devon representative has done so yet. Geoffrey Cox MP, representing Torridge, has not yet added his name. If you live in the Torridge district, you can make a real difference by writing to him and asking him to sign.

Take action: write to Geoffrey Cox MP
Ask him to sign the Repair and Reuse Declaration and support policies that make it easier for communities across Torridge, and the whole of the UK, to repair rather than replace: Write to your MP

What's next

The circular economy is coming. The question is whether repair and reuse will be at its heart. Events like the one in Parliament show that there is real political appetite for change, and that the repair movement is well-organised, passionate, and growing. We'll keep pushing, keep fixing, and keep making the case that a throwaway economy isn't inevitable.

Thank you to everyone who has visited a repair cafe, volunteered their skills, or simply fixed something instead of binning it. You are part of a movement – and that movement just paid a visit to Parliament.

You can find out more about our Repair Cafes, along with upcoming dates, here.