Hackney Council funds seven Repair Cafés

Hackney Council has launched a programme of Repair Cafés, providing grants to seven community organisations to help residents fix household items. The initiative aims to promote sustainability, reduce waste, and build community resilience. Each of the seven groups has received £1,500 to establish and operate these spaces between September and December 2026.

Repair Cafés offer free repairs and skill sharing

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Repair Cafés are community hubs where volunteers offer free repairs for a range of broken household goods, including electrical items, textiles, and bicycles. The programme aligns with Hackney's Circular Strategy and Action Plan, which seeks to lower consumption-based emissions and encourage active community involvement. By supporting these local initiatives, the council aims to cultivate a culture of repair and assist vulnerable communities.

The seven community groups awarded grants are STIM CIC, Colville Estate Tenants and Residents Association, Community Closet CIC, Threading Change CIC, Limitless Hands CIC, Morland and Blanchard Tenants and Residents Association, and St Paul and St Michael Primary School. These organisations will host the Repair Cafés, offering residents a chance to have items mended rather than discarded.

Community Closet to host first textile repair session

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Community Closet Hackney will host its inaugural Textile Repair Café on Tuesday 29 September 2026. Following this, sessions will take place every two weeks until December. Threading Change is also scheduled to host a textile Repair Café on Saturday 3 October.

Krista Brown, founder of The Community Closet, stated that the funding allows for the pilot of community-led Repair Café workshops. She highlighted the project's origin through a participation model and its ambition to develop into a sustainable social enterprise. Brown also noted the collaboration with members of the Irish Traveller community to deliver what is believed to be the first Irish Traveller-led community workshops of their kind in the area.

Council highlights sustainability and cost savings

Cllr Jacob Cable, Hackney Council's Cabinet Member for Climate, Clean Air, Energy and Transport, and chair of the North London Waste Authority, described the Repair Cafés as an example of community leadership in sustainability. He emphasised that by enabling residents to repair items, the initiative reduces waste, saves money, and fosters neighbourly skill-sharing. Cllr Cable added that the 7 boroughs within the North London Waste Authority have work to do to divert items from incineration through repair.

Limitless Hands will incorporate British Sign Language interpretation into their Repair Cafés, targeting Deaf and hard-of-hearing residents. STIM CIC, which works with neurodivergent individuals, will implement neuro-inclusive design principles to ensure a welcoming and accessible environment.