Last week, Kat Corbett, Coordinator of the School of Engineering’s MAKERS Project and Repair Cafe, was among a select group of community repair leaders invited to take part in a unique event inside the Houses of Parliament.
Kat was one of 20 representatives from repair cafés across the UK who supported a Parliamentary Repair Café hosted by The Restart Project. The event aimed to spotlight the growing movement for repair and reuse, demonstrating to MPs the value of local initiatives that tackle e-waste, reduce carbon emissions, and build community through hands-on problem-solving.
For the past two years, Kat has organised monthly repair cafés within the School of Engineering, where students, staff, and members of the public are invited to bring in broken items and learn how to fix them. These sessions have become an important part of the School’s commitment to sustainability and skills development, aligning with broader university efforts to promote circular economy thinking.
The event attracted 32 MPs, with a further four represented by staff members, many of whom had been encouraged to attend by constituents. As well as getting involved in practical repair, attendees learned about policy changes needed to make repair more accessible and affordable across the UK.
A highlight of the day was a speech from Mary Creagh CBE MP, Minister for Nature and chair of the government’s Circular Economy Taskforce. She arrived dressed in repaired clothing and spoke passionately about her commitment to developing a roadmap for circular electricals by next spring.
Also speaking at the event was broadcaster Jeremy Vine, who shared his personal frustrations with trying to repair a Segway that was barely three years old. His story resonated with the repair community present, many of whom felt confident it could be fixed. One attendee from a refurbishment company even offered to take on the challenge.
Kat was particularly inspired by conversations with other repair pioneers, including representatives from Manchester’s Renew Hub, an ambitious reuse initiative supported by SUEZ. She even left with one of their upcycled bags made from scrap upholstery fabric.
Reflecting on the experience, Kat said:
“It was an honour to represent UWE Bristol and the MAKERS project at such a prestigious and meaningful event. The energy in the room was incredible, and it’s encouraging to see the appetite for change at a political level. I’m hopeful that this marks another step towards a more sustainable, repair-friendly future.”
The Restart Project used the event to promote its Repair & Reuse Declaration, which outlines specific policy recommendations, including expanding the UK’s Right to Repair, introducing a repair index, and supporting the next generation of repairers. To date, the declaration has been signed by over 400 organisations and 64 MPs.
UWE Bristol’s MAKERS project, which was funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Diversity Impact Programme, continues to embed practical sustainability into engineering education and community outreach. Building on the success of the project, the team behind it is currently working on the Creating MAKERS Spaces initiative, as part of which they will develop a guide and toolkit to help other higher and further education institutions implement similar programmes.