Repair Week returns for a third year to London from 20-26 March, with over 50 repair events to help people gain, grow and perfect their repairing skills – saving money and helping fight climate change. Many are FREE, so check out your nearest ones and join the trend to mend this March.
Bigger and better than ever, Repair Week is expanding for the first time to Manchester this year. Waste management company, Suez, and the Recycle for Greater Manchester campaign are joining in by promoting repair skills and opening the doors to their Renew Hub, where hundreds of tonnes of pre-loved items which would otherwise have gone to waste are brought for repair and resale – with all of the profits going back to the local community.
Event hosts running workshops in London this year include Beyond Retro, the Royal College of Art, Hackney’s Castle Climbing Centre and Vivobarefoot.
Rebecca Child, Repair Week campaign managerWe are really excited to see so many more brands and organisations getting involved this year and delighted to have Manchester joining us for the first time. Hopefully this is the start of a national Repair Week! With the cost of living and climate crises it makes sense that there’s a growing appetite for repairing and upcycling rather than throwing stuff away. There are lots of free events across the capital; and free advice and hacks if you can’t get out to a workshop in person, or if you live outside London or Manchester. Although there is also a lovely community spirit to be found in local repair workshops if you can get to one.
For a full list of London-based events, repair hacks and a directory of repair professional services go to Repair Week’s website.
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WHAT: Repair Week Workshops
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WHEN: 20-26 March 2023
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WHERE: Various locations across London and Renew Hub Nash Rd, Trafford Park, Stretford, Manchester M17 1SX
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TICKETS/COSTS: Free and ticketed events check out the website
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INFORMATION: Repair Week – What’s on
To sign up for visiting Manchester’s Renew Hub, visit their Greater Manchester Repair Week page.
London Repair Week workshops include:
Sewcial with Make Mee Studio
- Tuesday 21st March 10.00 – 12.00 AND Thursday 23rd March 19.00 -21.00
- Crofton Park Community Library, Brockley
- The Sewcial is a relaxed class where you can bring along any torn or *yawn* boring clothing to mend and upcycle (we’ll help you!) Turn to our experienced sewing teachers for advice and sewing tips. Unwind and have fun in a no-pressure environment!
- Cost: £10
Repair In The Great Barn in Hillingdon
- Saturday 25th March 2023, 10am to 2pm
- The Great Barn, Manor Farm, Bury Street, Ruislip, HA4 7SU
- Hillingdon Council, Dr Bike, TRAID, Friends of the Earth, The Restart Party, Freegle, Hillingdon’s Adult Education Centre, and Ruislip Manor Library
- Come along and learn how to fix your bike, textiles, electricals and other items at this FREE event in a beautiful 700 year old barn that happens to be next to the only beach you can get to on the tube!
- Cost: FREE
Reuse and Repair Pop-Up in Hackney
- Saturday 18th March 2023, 11am to 3pm
- Woodberry Down Community Primary School, Woodberry Grove, Woodberry Down, N4 1SY
- London Borough of Hackney, Hackney Fixers, Forest Recycling Project, TRAID and Cycle Confident
- There will be a variety of free activities available at the event. You can donate all sorts of reusable household items, clothes and textiles, small appliances and take the items you need! You can also book in sessions to have electrical items repaired or have clothes and bikes repaired on a first-come-first-serve basis!
- Cost: FREE
Electronic Repair Party in Hammersmith
- Sunday 26th 2023, 13:00 – 17:00
- LIVAT Hammersmith, King St, London W6 9HW
- Hammersmith & Fulham Council, LIVAT, West Central London Fixers
- Glitchy phones, faulty toasters and broken kettles don’t belong in the bin. Learn how to fix your electricals and keep them out of landfill with Electronic Repair Party!
- Cost: FREE
Clothes Restyling and Swap Shop in Limehouse
- Saturday 25th March 2023, 10:30-14:00
- Limehouse Youth Centre Limehouse Causeway E14 8BN
- Tower Hamlets Council, Bikeworks
- There will be bike repair, clothes mending and a clothes restyling workshop for reviving your former favourite pieces. There’s also a swap shop for clothes and other small items – just bring 10 or less items and exchange them for tokens!
Cost: FREE
To find out more about Repair Week, see what’s happening and for more information, visit: https://londonrecycles.co.uk/repair-week
ENDS
For information, advice, interviews images and filming opportunities, contact Jenny Rose on jenny.rose@barleycommunications.co.uk 07957551697 or Maria Kortbech on maria.kortbech@barleycommunications.co.uk 07952 507270
Editor’s notes:
London Recycles is London’s recycling campaign, helping people across the capital recycle more and waste less. It is supported by the Mayor of London, delivered to help London boroughs increase their household recycling rates, and designed and run by ReLondon. Find out more at https://londonrecycles.co.uk
ReLondon is a partnership of the Mayor of London and the London boroughs to improve waste and resource management and transform the city into a leading low carbon circular economy.
ReLondon’s team delivers tailored support to government, businesses and citizens. The organisation works to reduce waste, increase recycling and accelerate London’s transition to a low carbon circular economy by:
• Empowering London’s boroughs and businesses by exploring, testing and proving transformative innovations with them
• Advocating for policy or regulatory change
• Encouraging behaviour change at all levels
ReLondon was established as a statutory Board under the Greater London Authority Act 2007 as the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB)
Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) is part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and works to inspire and encourage Greater Manchester residents to recycle more, recycle right and waste less. We do this by:
• Developing creative and innovative campaigns
• Educating students and communities through tours and visits at our Education Centres
• Working together with our council partners and communities to achieve greater benefits for all, making Greater Manchester a great place to live, work and do business.
SUEZ operate the waste and resources contracts on behalf of Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), managing 1.1 million tonnes of municipal waste from more than 1 million households across 9 Greater Manchester districts (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford).