Repair Café returns to UWE Bristol’s School of Engineering

UWE Bristol’s Repair Café returns this autumn with a special ‘repairs skills day’ on 25 September, ahead of the café reopening monthly from 9 October.

The initiative offers staff, students and members of the public the chance to have their broken items fixed for free at the university’s School of Engineering at Frenchay campus.

The café was launched in 2023 as part of the Royal Academy of Engineering-funded MAKERS Project (Making And Knowledge Exchange for Repair and Sustainability). In its first year, it prevented 248kg of waste going to landfill and saved 1.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions—the equivalent of growing 26 tree seedlings for 10 years.

The MAKERS project at UWE Bristol enhances belonging among diverse engineering students through sustainability and repair activities, whilst tackling the Climate and Ecological Emergency in partnership with local communities.

The Repair Cafe, held every second Wednesday of the month during term-time in the atrium of the School of Engineering building, is run by students and community and industry repair volunteers. Items that can be repaired may include electricals and small appliances, clothes, and anything that can be glued, soldered, or stitched.

To kick off this academic year, the MAKERS team has organised the repair skills day - a series of repair-focused workshops - on 25 September, perfect for those eager to make a positive impact by joining the UWE Bristol Repair Café. The soldering and clothing repair sessions have a limited number of spaces available for members of the public and UWE Bristol staff.

Volunteer repairers of electrical and electronic items will receive guidance and support from the School of Engineering's skilled technicians, ensuring all repairs are done in a safe manner and to a high standard. Local community and industry members involved offer valuable networking opportunities and connections with wider repair initiatives across the city.

Students volunteering at the Repair Cafe also earn skills badges and repair kits to help boost their employability and skills development. The UWE Bristol Repair Cafe also links to the wider Repair Cafe Network in Bristol, which students are supported to become involved with.

Kat Corbett, UWE Bristol’s MAKERS project coordinator, said: "I am thrilled to see the return of our Repair Café with the added excitement of the repair skills day. It’s heartening to witness the community coming together, sharing their expertise, and promoting sustainable practices through hands-on learning.

“This initiative empowers individuals to gain confidence in repairing items while fostering collaboration. The positive energy around these events reflects our collective dedication to reducing waste and embracing a circular economy. I'm very excited about the skills we’ll continue to build together."

Upcoming dates:

Repair Skills Day: 25 September (limited spaces available on a first-come first-served basis for members of the public).

Repair Café:

• Wednesday 9 October
• Wednesday 13 November
• Wednesday 11 December
• Wednesday 8 January
• Wednesday 12 February
• Wednesday 12 March
• Wednesday 9 April
• Wednesday 14 May

More information and further details on how to sign up are available online.