A new stand-alone bike repair station has been set up to help people get their bikes back on the road.

The initiative comes from the hugely successful Twickenham Repair Café, which recently celebrated its first anniversary.

This is the first accessible bike repair station in the borough - one of the very few in London – and there hopes that more will follow.

It is equipped with a full tool kit, including spanners, screwdrivers, tyre levers and a powerful pump.

Spokesman, Colin Messenger said: "Whether it is for breakdowns or bike maintenance, we have installed this station to be used by anyone, at any time."

The device cost £1,300 and was funded by donations from the many people who have taken items along to the Repair Café to have then fixed and given a new life.

The new bike repair station has been placed in front of St Margaret's Church, St Margaret's, Twickenham, which is the location for the once a month Repair Café events.

The Café is a champion of the 'make do and mend revolution'. Its team of volunteers has fixed hundreds of items, from coffee machines to lawn mowers, toys and clothes.

advertisement

The initiative was the brainchild of six locals, who knew each other from going to the same church and gathered for regular breakfast meetings while they worked from home during the pandemic.

It has become a beacon for support and advice for families who do not have the skills themselves to return old and broken items to use. While a Kids Zone has been introduced to ensure the repair and reuse philosophy is passed on to the next generation.

The repair team has grown to more than 30, who have expertise in fixing clothes and textiles, household and garden electrical items, electronics and radios, bikes, ceramics, computers and games consoles, clocks, toys, upholstery and furniture, woodwork, tools and many more.