As part of Repair Week, our upcycling working group — led by Ranger Elly Platt in collaboration with the Re-Action Collective — will host a vibrant Repair Café on the lower ground floor of our Mortimer Street Visitor Centre. Open daily throughout the week, the café will provide a welcoming space for practical skill-sharing and creative upcycling.

Equipped with a sewing machine, iron, ironing board, and a full range of haberdashery and repair tools — including custom London National Park City (LNPC) printing blocks — the café will support visitors in learning how to mend, alter, and creatively upcycle their clothing.

One of the café’s unique features is helping Rangers and guests design and create their own LNPC patches, encouraging personal expression while promoting sustainable fashion practices. The focus will be on co-repairing: working side-by-side with experienced volunteers to build confidence in simple repair skills such as sewing on buttons, patching holes, and hemming garments.

This hands-on, community-driven initiative not only extends the life of clothing but also empowers people to take an active role in reducing textile waste — all while celebrating the creativity and values of the London National Park City movement.

Our upcycling working group (with Ranger Elly Platt at the helm) together with our friends Re-Action Collective will be hosting a repair cafe on the lower ground floor of our Mortimer Street Visitor Centre every day during Repair Week. The emphasis is on co-repairing with volunteers, so that attendees can confidently master the skills needed to carry out minor repairs for themselves.