SOMERSET’S ‘Fixy Van’, which travels the county helping to repair electrical goods, has been shortlisted for a prestigious award.

Fixy, which is backed by Somerset Council, has been shortlisted at the Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management, which is billed as the “most prestigious event in the environmental calendar” by its operators.

Launched in 2022, the blue van has been a regular visitor to Wellington, as well as towns across Somerset, where it has breathed new life into discarded electrical goods.

In 2022/23, the service attended more than 80 events and engaged with almost 3,000 local residents about repairing and reusing their electricals, as well as supporting people in ‘digital poverty’ by refurbishing IT items, and helped to raise awareness of local repair groups.

Councillor Dixie Darch, Executive member for Environment and Climate, said: “We are very proud of the impact Fixy has had in Somerset and we are excited to see this expanding to wider areas as the project continues to progress.

“Fixy is helping Somerset become greener and more sustainable one repair at a time. Thank you to our team and keep up the great work.”

The awards ceremony is set to take place in London, on May 16, when the winners of the contest will be revealed. Fixy will be battling against companies, councils and universities from across the country to clinch a win. More than 450 people attended last year’s awards, with the organisers pledging this year’s contest will be ‘bigger and better.’

SUEZ, Somerset Council’s recycling partner, is also up for a reward in the competition. A spokesperson for the firm said: “The awards luncheon allows for a unique opportunity to gain industry recognition for innovation, dedication and achievements of individuals and organisations in promoting recycling, re-use and waste prevention.

“We are delighted that SUEZ recycling and recovery UK has been shortlisted for the awards under ‘Reuse initiative of the year’ category. SUEZ representatives and shortlisted finalists will be present at the event attending the awards ceremony.”

For more information about the Fixy project, including its upcoming schedule, visit the Somerset Council website.