Islington Fixers present to Islington Council Scrutiny Committee

On Tuesday, November 25th, the Islington Fixers were asked to introduce the project at the Environment, Climate and Transport Scrutiny Committee, in the Council Chamber, as part of the Household Recycling Rates and Waste Reduction Scrutiny Review - Witness Evidence (Reuse and Repair). 

The Fixers’ organisers Pawel Ryczan, Caz Royds and Bel Jacobs outlined the group’s achievements, and made a compelling case for a permanent site for both the Fixers and the Islington Climate Centre.

The Fixers - a partnership between Islington Council, the Climate Centre and Restart Project - has been running since January 2024. Between 2024 and 2025, we looked at electronic and electrical items for 133 people. This year, 247 people had  their items checked out by the Fixers.  Each event lasts 4 hours plus about 2 hours to set up and set down. We have 96 volunteers who follow us on Restarters.net and 20 volunteers on WhatsApp group. On average , there are 4 fixers at each event and 3 organisers.  

But that’s just the stats. From the first buzzy event at the Climate Centre, when it was in Angel Central, to a few quieter ones, the monthly Islington Fixers Repair Parties are now almost always fully booked, while still welcoming drop-ins. We’ve been moving between community centres and libraries for the past year, which means we get to know Islington really well and reach new communities.

Pawel, Caz and Bel work hard to create a friendly, upbeat culture.  We’re pleased people are bringing their items in for repair; we want them to feel good about that and we want them to come back. While agitating for climate action can be hard work, the Islington Fixers offer a concrete  response to the big issues of waste - and in particular, e-waste. People walk out with a fixed item, having saved something from landfill and saved cash, and they feel good. Repair is behaviour change in action.  

Plus we have extraordinarily rich conversations, ranging from why producers need to take responsibility for disposal of items to how and why big corporations may be making items more difficult for repair. We speak about the sheer injustice of dumping e-waste into places like Agbogbloshie in Accra, Ghana and the enormous, unrecognised skills for repair in the Global South. 

None of this would be possible without our amazing fixers, who give up four hours a month  to fix other people’s electric and electronic items. We’ve seen everything, from antique dentist lights to any number of lamps; from vintage record players to the toy baby that a small student had flung from a bus in frustration at its crying and needed its head re-attached. Nothing phases our fixers who talk through what they’re doing with their items’ owners in the spirit of skill-sharing. 

Nonetheless, watching a fixer crack open an item is always exciting. Two little boys once visited a repair party. You should have seen their faces when presented with the magical worlds inside a toaster! The children are the future - and repair is going to be one of their most vital skills. 

At the end of the presentation, Caz made the case for a permanent space in the borough to grow what we do and provide storage for tools and materials. The space could incorporate other types of mending, such as clothing and furniture. Space could be given to training up further fixers and interested members of the public. We’ve been inspired by other repair spaces such as Le Recyclerie in Clignancourt, Paris, 

Whatever the outcome, we are all very proud of what the Fixers have achieved and we look forward to more. Come to our next Repair Party, have a cuppa and let’s see if we can get that old heater that’s been sitting in the back of the cupboard fixed up and ready to go!