The Restart Project and partners are developing the next wave of Fixing Factories. This post is a short story of the development of the latest one, in Hackney.

Fixing Factories provide a community resource to enable people to get their things fixed and also learn new skills (via workshops). They are based in the community and 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 paid staff and volunteers.

The first Fixing Factories were created in Brent and Camden and have been 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.

In Hackney, volunteers and staff refurbished an old nail bar in Dispensary Lane. Once open, it will operate in a similar way to Camden with repair events and some training events.

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

The new manager, Arthur, was appointed. He 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 was ready to open its doors.

Cutting the ribbon …

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

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