This September, Centrala is launching Repair Café to encourage people to repair, reuse and rethink the way we care for our clothes.
We will be launching the Repair Café during Digbeth First Friday on Friday 4 September 2026, as part of Second Hand September, with a special evening dedicated to sustainable fashion, creativity and community action. The launch event will feature a Clothes Swap, giving visitors the chance to exchange good-quality unwanted clothing for something new-to-them, helping to keep garments in use for longer and reduce textile waste. Throughout the evening, there will also be opportunities to learn more about clothing repair, recycling and upcycling, watch short screenings, meet the Repair Café team and discover how to get involved over the coming year.
Repair Café begins on Wednesday 2 September 2026, with free weekly drop-in sessions every Wednesday from 12pm to 5pm at Centrala. The café offers free access to sewing machines and other repair tools, with support and supervision from our staff. Alongside this, we’ll also be running a programme of monthly artist-led upcycling workshops, exploring creative ways to transform a variety of everyday materials into something new. More information about each workshop will be shared throughout the year.
Repair Café is about much more than mending clothes. By sharing practical skills and encouraging repair instead of replacement, the project aims to reduce clothing waste, help households save money and inspire more sustainable approaches to fashion. Clothing waste has a significant impact on the environment, with discarded textiles contributing to waste and unnecessary use of resources. Extending the life of the things we already own is one simple way we can help reduce that impact.
Whether you’re looking to repair a favourite jumper, learn a new skill, or simply discover how small changes can make a big difference, we’d love to welcome you to the launch and to Repair Café.
Repair Café is funded by the Npower Business Solutions Foundation.