Hackney Fixers present The Big Fix to help mend old electricals, clothing, bikes and more. Pic Kate Hand
Hackney has more than its fair share of festivals with music, film and food very well represented in the East London.
But this weekend it is getting something totally new. The Big Fix, Hackney’s first ever festival of fixing will take place this Saturday in Dalston.
The event offers free workshops and drop-in classes to help you breathe a new life into old clothes, bikes and gadgets – and ultimately reduce waste.
James Diamond, the co-organiser from Hackney Fixers said: “We are going to fill the place with as much fixing activity as we can, and have fun doing it.”
Happy customers using Hackney Fixers. Pic Kate Hand
“We want to counterbalance the consumer culture which continually tells us to replace things every two months. We should be thinking in terms of sustainability,” said Diamond.
The reality that repairing most goods is cheaper than replacing prompted the Hackney Fixers to begin organising smaller-scale Restart Parties in 2013.
Now that they are proving popular, Hackney Fixers have teamed up with fellow re-use enthusiasts like Restart and School of Stuff to host an all-day festival.
Hackney Fixers’ Friederike Hanisch said: “We’ve heard from many people along the way that they are keen to connect our Restart Parties focused on electrics with other types of repair. Now that it is all happening, we’re very excited to see so many different local repairing initiatives joining us for the Big Fix and are looking forward to enthusing many more people with the joys of repair.”
Hackney currently lags behind neighbouring boroughs in terms of recycling infrastructure.There are no household waste and recycling centres in the borough, unlike Tower Hamlets, Lewisham and Croydon which all have at least one equivalent household reuse and recycling centre.
Broken headphones sorted thanks to Hackney Fixers. Pic Kate Hand
Between 2001 and 2009, the percentage of household waste being recycled in Hackney increased from 1 per cent to 25 per cent. That level has been maintained but still lags behind the 2013 London average of 33.9 per cent.
The North London Waste Authority is committed to raising the recycling rate in Hackney and six other London boroughs to 50 per cent by 2020.
The Big Fix will take place at St Mark’s Church, Dalston from 11am to 4pm. All workshops are free.
