UCL Repair Cafe

Gather all your broken, beloved belongings—the UCL Repair Cafe is back! Join us at the Institute of Making Stratford this November to start mending. 

Bring your hole-ridden clothes, broken electronic devices, cracked ceramics, damaged household items and more, and bring them all back to full working order with expert fixers from the UCL community. Come ready to learn and leave empowered to mend!

Everyone is welcome and invited to this free event. Even if you don't have anything to repair, you're welcome to join us to ask repair-based questions over tea and biscuits. Drop into the Repair Cafe between 12:00 and 16:00 (last entry 15:30) by reserving a free general entry ticket via our website.

The UCL Repair Cafe will feature the following activities. Most are drop-in, but some require an advance booking (linked below):

Textiles and Clothing Repair Have you got holes in your jumper, (unwanted) rips in your jeans, broken bag straps or trashed trainers? Then drop in for an in-person guide to fixing textiles with the Institute of Making team! We'll provide the materials, thread, needles and pins needed for you to patch, sew or darn new life into your beloved clothes, accessories, trainers and other textile items. (Drop in)

General Repair Visit the General Repair area with all of your miscellaneous belongings, and meet UCL MechSpace technicians who are ready to assist and mend anything, from small pieces of furniture to spectacles and umbrellas. You name it, they'll help you fix it using a wide range of tools and extensive problem-solving skills. (Drop in)

Electronics Repair (advance booking required) Bring in any electronic device in need of fixing - from smartphones and laptops to small household appliances like toasters and lamps. Book a slot for a one-to-one consultation with the repair experts from Mechspace, local repair business Sarasfix and UCL volunteers. (Booking a slot is required. Limited availability.)

Bike Repair and servicing (advance booking required) Does your bicycle need some extra love? UCL volunteers will be offering light servicing, simple repairs and advice to help you get your bike up and running smoothly again. (Booking a slot is required. Limited availability.)

Decorative Ceramic Repair Is your broken but beloved ceramic object collecting dust? Visit the Ceramic Repairs stall to celebrate and beautify the breaks and tears in your items with support from heritage conservators from the UCL Institute of Archaeology. Learn traditional techniques for restoring ceramics and discover how visible mending can transform damage into a feature. (Drop in)

Metal and Jewellery Repair Bring your cracked clasps, bracelets, necklaces and buckles to our Metal and Jewellery Repair stand and learn to make your trinkets as good as new. We'll have everything from screws for glasses to new string for broken beaded necklaces, as well as opportunities to use tools such as mini metal drills for your repairs. If your broken belonging is metallic, this is the place for you. (Drop in)

Plant Care and Repair Our green-fingered plant experts are here to help with all of your houseplant problems, whether you're a plant parent newbie or in need of specific specialist help, from propagating to repotting and much, much more. (Drop in)

Clothes Swap Rail In search of a new outfit? Why not browse our clothes swap rail for a brand-new pre-loved piece? Bring in your old clothes for donation and in return, take home an item to refresh your own wardrobe. Let’s tackle the impact of fast fashion together. (Drop in)

The Restart Project Join people-powered social enterprise The Restart Project to learn how they're working to fix our throwaway economy. Through accessible community repair events that empower people to fix their own broken items, The Restart Project are helping to tackle the growing problem of e-waste. Find out how to get involved and learn more about their work to make repair cheaper, easier and more accessible for everyone through their Right to Repair Campaign. (Drop in)

The Washing Machine Project Join The Washing Machine Project to learn more about how appliance repair could become more common in the UK. Chat with their researchers and explore how product design, communications, technology and business models can lower the barriers to fixing appliances - starting with washing machines. (Drop in)

The Repair Cafe is an inter-departmental community event, sustained by expert volunteers from UCL Conservation, the Institute of Making, the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL Institute of Archaeology, Mechanical Engineering Researchers Society and Sustainable UCL

Everyone is welcome in our spaces. We strive to make all of our processes accessible, including attending our events and workshops, and using our website and booking systems. Please message us if you have any questions or requirements, or need assistance using our platforms - we'll be happy to help. We're always interested in feedback to help us improve access to our activities.

Please contact us at events@instituteofmaking.org.uk if you'd like to chat.