The Restart Project and partners are developing the next wave of Fixing Factories to increase the repair capability on our high streets. This post is a short story of the development of the latest one, in Hackney.

Fixing Factories provide a community resource to help people to get their things fixed and also learn new skills (via workshops). They are based in the community and more easily accessible. They provide a more consistent capability for repair and reuse. Run in partnership with Possible and funding from the National Lottery Climate Action Community Fund they are also resourced by mix of paid staff and volunteers.

The first Fixing Factories were created in Brent and Camden and were covered in earlier posts. Brent was a pilot, located in a local household waste recycling centre; that has now closed. The Camden factory continues and hosts a range of repair and educational events on Thursdays and Saturdays.

This post follows the development of two new facilities: one in Hackney and another in Haringey.

Hackney Fixing Factory

In Hackney, volunteers and staff refurbished an old nail bar in Dispensary Lane.

Local bespoke furniture makers OEK , located next door, provided the new ‘fixing factory’ wall signage.

The new manager, Arthur and Shelini, who is managing the Restart’s Fixing Factory programme, began installing the furniture and making final preparations for the opening.

On 23 April the Fixing Factory officially opened its doors.

Cutting the ribbon …

The Hackney Fixing Factory is now operational. you can find details here.

In Haringey, pre-launch events are taking place with community repair events hosted by Haringey Fixers.

The Future

We need more Fixing Factories. Ideally, we should have one on the high street in every major town and in every London borough. We have solutions, we just need to act.