News

Repair & Share Foyle launches new ‘Fixing Factory’ with support from The National Lottery Community

19 August 2025

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council has welcomed the launch of the brand-new Fixing Factory from Repair & Share Foyle.

Repair & Share Foyle proudly announced the launch of its brand-new Fixing Factory this week, thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund’s People and Communities programme. The £188,094 grant supports three flagship projects – Tech Connect, RePaint, and now the Fixing Factory – all designed to tackle waste and build a more sustainable, circular economy across the Derry City & Strabane District Council (DCSDC) area.

Launching on 1st September, the Fixing Factory will expand on the group’s popular monthly Repair Cafés, giving local people the option to drop off broken small household electricals for repair by skilled volunteers. Unlike the Repair Cafés, where items are fixed on-the-spot, the Fixing Factory allows volunteers more time to carry out repairs — while also offering workshops for residents, schools and businesses to learn repair skills themselves.

Mayor of DCSDC, Cllr Ruairí McHugh, was delighted to see the new project come to life and encouraged everyone to check it out. He said, “I warmly welcome the launch of the Fixing Factory, which is a fantastic addition to the Repair & Share Foyle initiative. This project will not only help reduce waste and protect our environment but also empower local people with the skills and confidence to repair and reuse.

“It’s inspiring to see community-led projects like this making such a positive impact across our district, and I want to thank The National Lottery Community Fund for their support in making it possible.”

Andrew Wright, E-waste Coordinator at Repair & Share Foyle, said, “The Fixing Factory is important because it adds flexibility. Not everyone can wait at a busy Repair Café, so this project opens another route to repair for people who just need to leave an item in and collect it later”

With only five pre-booked drop-off slots available each month to start with, the Fixing Factory is expected to fill up quickly. Booking links will be available via the Repair & Share Foyle website, social media channels, and monthly newsletter.

For more information, please visit www.repairsharefoyle.org