This article is written by student V Repair Project Leaders Juanita and Molly
At V Repair, we’re all about sustainability and supporting our student community. Partnering with the amazing team at Share and Repair, we host various events throughout the year to help students save money, learn new skills, and reduce waste. We started this year with two inspiring events: a Repair Café and a Hand-Sewing Workshop in October, both full of energy and engagement. We can’t wait to share all the great moments with you!
Repair Cafe
We kicked off the year with our very first V-Repair Cafe, where students had the opportunity to bring their clothes, electrical items and anything in general in need of repairing to be fixed by Share and Repair’s skilled volunteers. This was held on the 15th of October on the ground floor of the SU and is the first of many similar exciting events to come. These cafés promote sustainability on campus and beyond by repairing clothing, technology, and appliances that might otherwise be discarded, helping to reduce waste from fast fashion and electronic waste while lessening their impact on the climate. One of the main highlights of the event was witnessing the joy on students' faces as they had their items repaired, saving both money and reducing waste. Our Repair Cafés are also a fantastic way to connect with the broader community beyond the campus and give back to a charity that provides invaluable and essential services. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to get involved in volunteering on campus, and the event wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our amazing volunteers: Yvonne, Angel, Sofian, Sophie, Daniel, Araminta, and Illaye. We’re excited to share that we raised £36! This amount may seem modest, but it can make a real difference by covering essential materials for our next Repair Café. Every contribution counts, and this milestone reflects the incredible support from our community!
Hand-Sewing Workshop
After the Repair Café, we immediately geared up for our next event—a sewing workshop, in collaboration with the Sustainable Fashion Society, in the Edge just one week later. At this event, skilled sewing volunteers Sally and Jacky from Share and Repair guided students in mastering various stitches and provided essential tips on repairing their own clothes. This knowledge enables students to make their own repairs and even assist at the next Repair Café! This event differed from our Repair Cafés by offering students the chance to learn a valuable new skill they can use frequently in everyday life. The smaller groups created a more intimate setting, and the success of the event is paving the way for future events of a similar nature. It was wonderful to offer such a positive and practical workshop at the university, and we are very grateful to Share and Repair’s volunteers for providing this masterclass. The event complemented our regular Repair Cafés perfectly and showcased the diverse ways to engage with sustainability.
Both events left a lasting, positive impact on our students and Share and Repair volunteers, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. Our new Hand Sewing Workshop was especially well-received, giving students valuable, practical skills they can use right away. We look very much forward to working with the Sustainable Fashion Society again this year! These experiences not only empowered participants to make sustainable choices but also fostered a strong sense of community and collaboration.
Upcoming Events
V Repair is excited to announce many more fantastic events coming your way! Look out this November for our next Repair Café on the 21st. Bring along your beloved toasters, hoodies, bags, and more—we’ll help you give them a new lease on life. We can’t wait to see you there! From your project leaders, Juanita and Molly.
2024-25 Repair Cafe Dates
The next campus Repair Café dates are:
Thursday 21 November 2024, 11:00 to 15:00
Thursday 13 February 2025, 11:00 to 15:00
Wednesday 12th March 2025, 11:00 to 15:00
Wednesday 23rd April 2025, 11:00 to 15:00
All held on the ground floor of the SU building.
If you’re interested in volunteering to help at the Repair Café, or even train to be a Student Repairer, please email us at vteam@bath.ac.uk