Proper Job - Reclaim, Reuse, Recycle

13/10/2026

Really good article in The Guardian today regarding the huge quantity of ‘fast fashion’ and low quality donations that are causing a huge problem for charity shops! Worth a read!

Swamped with ‘daily avalanches’ of soiled items and poor-quality fast fashion, Britain's secondhand stores are in crisis. What went wrong with people’s good intentions? And is it possible to donate more effectively?

12/10/2026

A big thank you to Chagford Memory Café for helping us sort our button boxes!

We brought up the buttons from our preloved haberdashery department , and Susan from The Green Attic kindly took them along for everyone to help sort.

Buttons might seem like a small thing, but they can bring back so many memories — of sewing with parents and grandparents, mending clothes, making things last and finding a use for every last scrap.

Sorting buttons is also a lovely, low-impact activity that can be enjoyed at different abilities, giving people the chance to get involved, chat and share stories.

We love that this simple task sparked conversations about sustainability and how people used to repair and look after their clothes rather than throw them away. There is so much knowledge and experience to learn from, and these everyday objects have stories of their own to tell.

At Proper Job, we’re always grateful for the volunteers and community groups who help us give things a second life. It’s wonderful to see reuse bringing people together across generations.

10/10/2026

Another brilliant morning at CHAGFIX!

At least 49 items repaired this morning, helping to keep useful things in use and out of the waste stream.

From banjos and lawnmowers to textiles, radios, toys, leather goods, lamps and tools needing sharpening, our brilliant repairers tackled a wonderfully varied collection of items.

Every repair is a little win for the environment, saves resources and helps people get more life out of the things they own.

A huge thank you to our fantastic volunteers and everyone who brought something along. Your skills, time and enthusiasm make CHAGFIX what it is.

Repair, reuse, keep things going.

CommunityRepair

09/10/2026

We’re delighted to welcome Jamie Christoforou to the Board of Trustees at Proper Job Resource Centre.

Based near Chagford, Jamie brings more than 25 years of experience in business development, marketing and operations. He co-founded Tamar Telecommunications, helping to build and run the business for 19 years before its sale in 2021.

Jamie now runs Zero to Exit Ltd and is one half of Jamie & Kev Go Travelling, creating travel and leisure content across Devon, Cornwall and beyond. He also brings hands-on experience in staffing and event operations from four seasons at Newton Abbot Racecourse.

His commercial experience, local knowledge and practical approach will be valuable as we continue to develop Proper Job’s work in reuse, repair and supporting our community.

Could you help Proper Job go further?

We’re always looking for new trustees and volunteers to get involved in our work. Whether you have professional skills to share, practical experience, fresh ideas or simply a passion for reuse and our local community, we’d love to hear from you.

If you think you have something to offer and would like to be part of what we’re building, get in touch to find out more.

Please join us in welcoming Jamie to the team!

Community

08/10/2026

Helping small community groups create bigger impact 💪

Our CEO Alison has been working with CAG Devon and Libraries Unlimited to develop a free toolkit for Community Action Groups, as part of the Together for Tomorrow project.

The aim is simple: to help smaller community groups build their confidence, diversify their income and find new ways to raise the money they need to deliver the amazing environmental projects happening in communities across Devon.

We know that brilliant ideas don’t always come with big budgets or dedicated fundraising teams. Sometimes a small group of people, a good idea and a bit of support can make a huge difference.

This toolkit is about sharing what we’ve learned, making useful resources more accessible and helping groups to turn their ideas into action – so they can spend more time creating positive environmental change in their communities.

Free Practical Toolkit

Looking for new ideas, funding opportunities or ways to strengthen your community group?

Proper Job - Reclaim, Reuse, Recycle have created a free practical Income Diversification Toolkit for Community Action Groups, charities and community organisations.

It's packed with simple tools, exercises and templates to help you:

🌿 Understand your community and stakeholders
💷 Explore new income opportunities
💡 Test and develop ideas before investing time and money
📊 Plan for long-term sustainability

You don't need to work through it from cover to cover, just dip into the sections that are useful to your organisation right now.

We hope it helps your group become more resilient, confident and financially sustainable.

📖 Download your free toolkit here: https://cagdevon.org.uk/doing-stuff/how-to-guides/income-d

06/10/2026

Today we had the pleasure of hosting Community Action Group Devon and their partner organisations as part of the Together for Tomorrow project, a collaboration between Community Action Groups Devon and Libraries Unlimited. Libraries Unlimited

It was a brilliant and inspiring day, hearing about the amazing work community groups are doing right across Devon and the difference they’re making in their local communities.

Of course, while they were here, we had to give everyone the opportunity for a tour and a little rummage around Proper Job before heading up into town for the meeting!

We finished the day with lunch provided by the fantastic Knead to Connect CIC — another great example of a brilliant local CAG Devon group.

A really lovely day of sharing ideas, making connections and celebrating community action across Devon.

Carolyn Dare Earth Action North Devon Community Action Groups Somerset

05/10/2026

October is shaping up to be a busy month at Proper Job, with lots of community events for you and your family to get involved in. 🎃♻️

From repairing and reusing to getting creative, caring for nature and getting out and about, there’s plenty happening.

Come along, get involved, learn something new and meet others in the community.

Find out more and book your spaces at https://www.proper-job.org/events/

or follow the link in our bio and click Events.

05/10/2026

🔧 Half-term family activity – Fix It!

Join us at Chagford Library for a hands-on repair session where children aged 6–12 can learn how to fix battery-powered toys and have a go at repairing things themselves.

A fun, practical session helping children build confidence, learn new skills and think about repairing rather than replacing.

Places are limited, so book your place!

Click here https://www.ticketsource.com/librariesunlimited/stem-toy-repair-workshop-battery-powered/p-yeldbj

Or click link in bio.

A collaboration between Chagford Library, Libraries Unlimited and Community Action Groups Devon, with Proper Job. CAG Devon

02/10/2026

We’re really pleased to have been part of this project helping Chagford Primary School develop their new Woodland School area.

It’s fantastic to see a space where children can get outside, get stuck in, learn practical skills and spend time connecting with nature. It’s good for their wellbeing, their confidence and their understanding of the environment too.

And we love that so much of the project has been made possible through the community coming together and making use of what’s already available.

Proper Job was able to provide reclaimed materials for the project, giving things that might otherwise have been thrown away a new purpose. This is exactly what we’re here for — keeping useful resources in use, reducing waste and supporting our local community.

A huge thank you to everyone who has helped make it happen, including Chagford Parish Council, Chagford Community Trust, Emmanuel Henry Building Contractors for donating wood and supplies, Wellmoor, and the Moretonhampstead Community Shed for helping to build the outdoor cooking area.

And of course, thank you to everyone who donated the materials that made their way into the project.

It’s lovely to see what can happen when a community shares its skills, time and resources. 🌱

🌿 Forest School at Chagford Primary!🌿

We're excited to launch our new Forest School programme with Mr Frewin, giving children the chance to explore, learn and thrive in the great outdoors. 🍂🌳
Through hands-on activities and outdoor learning, pupils will build confidence, resilience and a deeper connection with nature.
A huge thank you to our PTFA, Proper Job - Reclaim, Reuse, Recycle (especially Alison Salis) for their fantastic support with funding, materials and grant applications, and to Mr Frewin for all his hard work creating this amazing new learning space for our children.

02/10/2026

🔧 GET INVOLVED WITH CHAGFIX REPAIR CAFÉ! 🧵

📅 Saturday 10 October

Got something that needs fixing? Or fancy learning how to repair things yourself?

Our next Repair Café will have volunteers offering help with sharpening, textile repairs, leather repairs, electrical repairs, jewellery repairs and more!

🛠️ Book your item in for a repair
☕ Come along for a cup of tea and a piece of cake
👋 Meet our growing team of volunteer repairers
💡 Learn how to repair and maintain your own things
♻️ Give your items a new lease of life instead of throwing them away

Repair Café runs on donations, so you pay what you can for your repair.

You can also stick around and learn how it’s done – we’d love to see you!

👉 Book your repair via the link or follow the events link in our bio to find out more.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/chagfix-repair-shop-tickets-2000577069870?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios

CommunityRepair Reuse CircularEconomy