A SHIPPING container village storing thrown-away items ready for reuse has become a reality after a green pioneer smashed her fundraising target.

Freegle founder and Waste House co-ordinator Cat Fletcher is celebrating after her project to create a reuse depot with shipping containers in Brighton and Hove hit its £10,000 target with days to spare.

Almost 300 individuals, charities, artists, community groups and small businesses, including investors from the US, Australia and Scotland, have got behind the campaign since it was launched at the end of May.

It is now hoped that the seven-day centre capable of receiving, sorting, repairing and redistributing unwanted goods and materials for reuse will open in August when it will become the first of its kind on such a scale in the country.

Miss Fletcher said: “I’m just really thrilled, it’s awesome.

“It shows that people get the idea, that they are willing to be more resourceful and reduce waste but they just want it to be easier.”

Developers QED Estates, who specialise in adapting shipping containers, were among three backers to give £1,000 or more and will now work with Miss Fletcher in giving one container at the depot a glamorous makeover with reuse materials.

A reuse depot based in Australia donated £500 and have now offered Miss Fletcher free consultation advice drawn from their decade-long experience of running a similar facility on the other side of the world.

The funding page has received 3,000 hits during the past four weeks with almost nine per cent of page viewers then donating – far higher than crowd funder’s average of five per cent.

Miss Fletcher’s scheme has now received the backing of Brighton and Hove City Council following a recent meeting.

She said: “They have agreed to work with me over the coming year to promote and signpost service users to it.

“They’re not very good at reuse at the moment because of all the regulations and legislation at the tip make it difficult, charities can run reuse centres but they’re not allowed to open on the busiest day, a Sunday.”

Supporters can still pledge money to the fundraising project which closes at 12.30am on Tuesday.

Visit crowdfunder.co.uk/city-reuse-depot.