5th UK Repair Café Conference

30th November 2026
Online via Teams

Introduction
Repair Café numbers in the UK and around the globe are increasing with over 4000 highlighted on the Repair Cafe International Foundation (RCIF) website and an estimated 850+ in the UK. Repair Cafés are playing an increasingly important role in the resilience of local communities alongside reducing environmental impacts and improving wellbeing.

The 5th UK Repair Café conference will bring together Repair Cafes from throughout the UK to share practical experience and knowledge and transfer best practice and skills. It is a great opportunity to share knowledge and experience, and benchmark with other Repair Cafes.

Target audience
The conference is focused on practical issues being faced by Repair Cafes and is targeted at managers, repairers and other volunteers; and will be suitable for start-ups or more experienced Repair Cafes, and those that are standalone or part of broader environmental charities.

Event objectives
The conference will update on recent research into the ‘state of the art’ of Repair Cafes globally and in the UK, and provide a platform for discussion on practical issues related: information, data and AI; engaging young people; and Linux Repair Cafes.

Agenda

The conference is chaired by:

Professor Martin Charter, Director and Chair, Board of Trustees, Farnham Repair Café, The Centre for Sustainable Design (®), University for the Creative Arts (UCA)

2.00 Welcome & Introductions

2.10 Global and UK Research into Repair Cafes

Peter Counter, PhD candidate and repairer, UCA
Beth Quinton, PhD candidate and repair café volunteer, UCA

3.00 Information, data and AI

Chris Murphy, Tunbridge Wells Repair Cafe
Thomas Vien, Fetcham and Bookham Repair Café
Roger Hutton, Dorking Repair Café

3.45 Break

4.00 Youth engagement

Duncan Edwards, Maidstone Repair Café
Chris Bowie, Leeds University Repair Café
Tanio Bermo, Barmouth Repair Café *

4.45 Linux Repair Cafes

Johan Zwaan, Project Coordinator, Repair Café International Foundation
Chris Kennedy, Repair Café at The Monastery (Manchester) *
Wimborne Repair Cafe *

5.30 Discussion

6.00 Close

* To be confirmed

Registration

The event is free of charge, but you need to register via frc@uca.ac.uk by sending your name, position and repair cafe. On receipt, you will be sent instructions to join the conference.

Further information

For more information contact:
Ros Carruthers
The Centre for Sustainable Design ®
UCA
email: rcarruthers@uca.ac.uk