Kensington Repair Hub is having an impact

Our local repair hub has repaired more than 1000 items and kept more than two tonnes of goods and materials out of landfill.

Since 2019 the Kensington Repair Hub has run 51 repair sessions, repaired 1150 items weighing around 2191 kg. In addition to the regular monthly sessions, simple sewing workshops, bike workshops and a jewellery workshop were held free for community to learn basic repairs and to pass on knowledge and skills.

Emily, a hand sewing repairer at the Kensington Repair Hub, said, “my mum taught me to hand sew when I was a child. Volunteering at the Kensington Repair Hub and running workshops is a way that I acknowledge, celebrate and share these skills and knowledge that has been passed on through my family. Mending contributes to our community keeping items out of landfill.”

The Kensington Repair Hub is part of a global community movement started in 2009 in the Netherlands to repair items. All around the world every month, community repair groups are held to fix items, keeping them out of landfill.

As with most repair cafes, it’s a free service, run by skilled volunteers, with customers donating what they can afford, this money goes back into providing the community service.

Through various grants secured over the years the Kensington Repair Hub has been able to purchase tools like sewing machines, an overlocker, all types of screwdrivers, jewellery tools. links, solders and bike tools.

Often community do not have the specific tool to repair an item so having a wide range of tools allows the repairers to fix an item. Repairers also have access to more than 124,000 free guides from ifixit.com

The Repair Hub has had to buy all sort of screwdrivers as manufacturers try to dissuade repairs by creating bespoke screwheads for their products.

The Kensington Repair Hub currently has a team of 12 repairers who volunteer when they can.

“Volunteering with the Kensington Repair Hub over the last year-and-a-half has been very rewarding – I've learned new skills, connected with people from the neighbourhood, and experienced the joy of fixing things together,” repairer Matt Parletta said.

It’s a great way to build community while promoting sustainability and sharing knowledge.

It’s a social space with people sharing ideas and chatting to each other creating connections. Many visitors return.

According to a report by Open Repair Alliance in October 2024, more than 200,000 repair attempts have been made by volunteers. Insights from this community data captured have been used in policy consultations and campaigning to help strengthen the case for a universal right to repair.

Clothes, electronic goods are the most popular items brought to the Kensington Repair Hub.

The Kensington Repair Hub is always looking for skilled repairers, please visit their Facebook page: Kensington Repair Hub, if interested. •