Latest News

greener and cleaner

Thousands of local people will benefit from vital repair and mending skills, thanks to a grant to local charity Greener and Cleaner.

The £46,000 grant will significantly boost Greener and Cleaner’s ‘Repair and Resilience Bromley’ project, building on the charity’s successful pilot work to offer free repair skills workshops and mending clinics in the borough.

A special launch event was held on Friday 1st May 2026 at Greener and Cleaner’s Community Hub in The Glades shopping centre in Bromley.

The ‘Repair and Resilience Bromley’ project will focus on hosting events to support the sharing of practical life skills for repairing everyday items, such as clothes, electronics, and furniture. Repair experts and volunteers will be on hand during the free drop-in sessions to help mend items and share tips.

The sharing of valuable repair and mending skills helps to reduce waste and save money, as well as fostering close community links, reducing social isolation and improving mental wellbeing for both volunteers and service users.

The funding from the West Kent Freemasons will allow for a crucial expansion of Greener and Cleaner’s community sustainability work. The charity currently offers two repair cafes each month, alongside a weekly mending clinic and free use of a sewing machine at their Community Hub. The number of mending and repair skills workshops will now be increased and a special Repair Coordinator hired. A contribution will also be made towards marketing the Community Hub’s Library of Things, which enables the cheap borrowing of items for repair and home maintenance.

The ‘Repair and Resilience Bromley’ project will target all residents of the Bromley borough and is uniquely designed to support those most in need, with the new sessions particularly targeting foodbanks, cafes and other accessible venues. All repair cafes, mending clinics and workshops will be offered free of charge.

There is already significant demand in Bromley for Greener and Cleaner’s repair and skills-sharing events. One thousand people access the charity’s Community Hub every month and 775 items are borrowed from its Library of Things each year.

The ‘Repair and Resilience Bromley’ project is anticipated to directly benefit more than 7,000 people this year, with increased awareness forecast to reach 30,000.

We’re very grateful to West Kent Freemasons for their generous grant. We know that many people in our communities are currently struggling – whether that’s with the rising cost of living, their mental health, or a sense of connection and purpose. The Repair and Resilience Bromley project builds on our work to bring people together, share practical skills, and support one another – helping people fix and reuse items rather than replace them, saving money while creating meaningful connections.

Clare Searle, Greener and Cleaner CEO

I’m very pleased we’ve been able to help Greener and Cleaner with their innovative repair project for Bromley. In these difficult times it’s a great idea to be able to learn practical repair skills and the chance to reduce the crippling isolation felt by so many people is another great benefit.

Andrew Waddington, West Kent Freemasons
whois: Andy White Freelance WordPress Developer London