Repair in our Communities
Repair Cafes
About
Repair offers a simple way to reduce waste in a circular economy. Yet many barriers remain, including items not designed for repair, the information required, the skills needed to diagnose and fix them, and the availability of parts. Over the last 15 years, Repair Cafes have sprung up around the world as a community initiative to help fill this gap. This talk will be jointly presented by Clare Seek from Share Portsmouth, Keith Brady from Solent Repair and Reuse, and Munyaradzi John Magwaro, who volunteers with both organisations, to explain how Repair Cafes support our local community and what must improve to make it easier to get broken things fixed rather than ending up in waste streams.
Room PO0.41, Portland Building, University of Portsmouth
1
Continuing Professional Development
This event can contribute towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours as part of the IET's CPD monitoring scheme.
15 Sep 2026
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Organiser
- Solent Local Network
Speakers
Keith Brady
Repair Cafe Expert
Being part of Solent Repair and Reuse, Keith has become an expert on Repair Cafes and all things re-use.
He has even been part of the Parliamentary Repair Cafe to highlight to MPs the importance of re-use and reducing waste.
Clare Seek
CEO - Share (Portsmouth)
Clare Seek is the founder of Share Portsmouth (originally Repair Cafe Portsmouth) and is on a mission for a truly sustainable Portsmouth.
She launched Portsmouth Library of Things and Repair Café Portsmouth at Cascades shopping centre in Portsmouth’s city centre. Clare is driven to build a wave of ‘borrow, not buy’ and ‘fix, don’t ditch’.
Every project Clare has undertaken has had environmental issues at its core to bring communities and nature together so they can all thrive.
Munyaradzi John Magwaro
Volunteer
John is an IET Solent Local Network volunteer as well as a volunteer with Share Portsmouth and Solent Repair and Reuse - helping Engineers understand how their products can be greener and more open to re-use.
Programme
1845-1900 - Arrival and light refreshments
1930 - Talk starts:
What is a Repair Cafe:
The Circular Economy and the Hierarchy of R
History of the Repair Cafe Movement
Repair Cafes in UK and locally
Solent Repair and Reuse
How a Repair Cafe works in practice and how it complements the rest of the Repair Economy
Case studies of a Repair Cafe
Aim to tell 2 stories - One Success and one challenge
The future of Repair
Share Portsmouth overview and repair on the High Street
Right to Repair and the Legislative Agenda