Get involved in London Repair Week 2022

We are pleased to be a partner in London Recycles’ Repair Week. From 14-20 March we will be celebrating the benefits of repairing items and shine a light on some of our local repair heroes. Plus, children can take part in sewing workshops to learn a new skill and embrace the power of repair. 

Repairing your items keeps them in circulation for longer, reducing the amount bought new and therefore the amount going to waste. It is also usually cheaper than throwing something away and buying new! 

Many repair businesses understand that items often have meaning to their owner and take joy in bringing cherished items back to life, as Louise Claydon from Clarkes Jewellers in Sutton explains: 

“It is a real privilege to repair and restore a client’s treasured piece of jewellery. The sentimentality and history intertwined with a favourite item of jewellery is such an important bond with its wearer.”

To help you find local repair businesses, plus organisations and opportunities that can help you reduce waste, we’ve launched our new Zero Waste Map. From repairs and refills, to sharing and skills building, you can view opportunities here or email our Sustainability Team to suggest additions.

You can also learn more about just a few of the great local repair businesses in the borough, as we share their work on the Council’s Facebook and Twitter pages, and on the Sutton Green Scene Twitter page.

There are some great opportunities to learn skills to help you keep items you own fresh and working for longer, from courses at Sutton College to local workshops and classes, such as Stitches Academy, where you can develop your sewing skills. 

To finish London Repair Week, children aged 7-14 can learn hand-sewing techniques that they can use to save their favourite clothes from the bin. These workshops, delivered by Stitches Academy, as part of their exhibition ‘Dress to Redress: Stitches Academy responds to the Climate Crisis’, take place at Whitehall Historic House on Sunday 20 March and should be booked in advance.

You can learn more about our climate action and sustainability work on our website.