The Fixy team helps people recycle or reuse electrical items

Environment News Technology West Somerset News

Tech recycling and reuse scheme rolling out to help more people in Somerset

Paul JonesSeptember 26, 20250 Comment0

A SCHEME which hits the road to help people recycle and reuse electrical items is expanding in Somerset.

Fixy is continuing to bridge the digital divide with community outreach as it welcomed six new tech donation points cross the Somerset Coastal region.

Funded by the Hinkley Point C (HPC) Community Fund – managed by the Somerset Community Foundation (SCF) – and with additional contribution from Resource Futures, the expansion has set up Fixy drop-off points for residents to donate unwanted tech in Burnham-on-Sea Visitor Centre, Watchet Visitor Centre, Excom (a computer supplies shop in Minehead), and Porlock Information Centre.

The most recent additions are at the Sopha home furniture shop in Highbridge and the Activity Warehouse in East Quay, Bridgwater.

Electronics and electrical equipment left at these points are collected and sent on to Fixy’s technology partner, Donate IT, for repair, reuse or recycling.

When devices can be refurbished, they are then made available for redistribution to those in digital poverty.

“Digital inclusion is an issue of prime concern for the elderly and vulnerable members of our community,” said Debbie Stanyon, manager of Porlock Information Centre.

“We are delighted to be working with Fixy to open a new permanent Donate IT drop off point. We are keen to identify our residents needs and seek new opportunities for our community to have access to technology and to assist in increasing their confidence in digital skills.”

Alongside the drop-off points, the bright blue Fixy van is travelling across the Somerset Coastal region, promoting repair and reuse of electricals.

The work includes increasing awareness and participation in local repair and reuse initiatives and strengthening community connections through events, volunteering, and partnerships with local organisations, the organisation said.

Fixy is working with Somerset Skills and Learning (SS&L) to share knowledge, upskill the community, and engage with a wider and more diverse audience on sustainable activity to bridge the digital divide.

In Watchet, the group has supported the West Quantocks Repair Café, which launches on Saturday (September 27) at the Watchet Community Centre, in Doniford Road, running from 10am to 1pm.

The Fixy van in Watchet

“The Fixy team makes a considerable difference on the ground in terms of expanding community access to reuse and repair for electrical items,” said Jude King, project and development manager at Resource Futures.

“It is brilliant to be able to support additional communities through our Fixy work thanks to the funding from the HPC Community Fund.

“The brilliance of the Fixy model is that it can be adapted to meet the needs of any community; in this case, a combination of fixed drop-off points in towns and villages along Somerset’s coastline, and mobile engagement, means we can reach members of the community who would otherwise struggle to access these kinds of community-focused projects.”

While the project is still fresh, in the Somerset Coastal region Fixy has so far: