creating-makers-spaces-a-guide-for-universities-and-colleges

Creating MAKERS spaces: a guide for universities and colleges

1. INTRODUCTION

This guide aims to support universities and colleges to organise and operate MAKERS projects on campus. MAKERS projects bring together the technical prowess of Makerspaces with the community can-do spirit of a Repair Café. MAKERS projects aim to tackle waste, support student skill development, and co-develop solutions to community problems.

The development of this ‘How to Guide’ was supported by Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Royal Academy of Engineering under the Diversity Impact Programme. The wider programme aims to inspire change in university engineering departments so that all students succeed and the unique perspectives and experiences of engineers from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds continue to enhance the profession.

The experiences highlighted in the guide come from the Making and Knowledge Exchange for Repair and Sustainability (MAKERS) project at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). The MAKERS project co-developed a Repair Café on campus, open to all students, as well as maker projects with communities during 2023 to 2024. The project aimed to improve students’ sense of belonging and hands-on engineering skills, particularly among under-represented groups, while embedding sustainability and community engagement.

This toolkit provides practical guidance on:

• establishing local sustainability and repair projects

• creating inclusive learning environments

• building community partnerships

• monitoring impact and sharing best practice

This work supports the further and higher education sector’s commitment to sustainability, addressing both environmental and social challenges through resource conservation, waste reduction, and enhanced civic engagement. By raising awareness of repair and making, the initiative encourages students, staff, industry partners, and local communities to rethink consumption and reduce waste within the global supply chain.

Project lead: Dr Laura Fogg Rogers, Associate Professor Engineering in Society

Project coordinator: Kat Corbett, Circular Economy Lead

Project researchers: Dr Joe Butchers and Dr Hollie Lewis

Technical team: Steve Regester, Will Hadrill, Drew WilliamsHicks, Ruth Squires, Luisa Holder

Community steering group: Jenny Ford, Steve Harrison, Stuart Phelps, Joanna Burch-Brown, Mark Jacobs.

2. REDUCE, REUSE, REPAIR, RECYCLE…

Reducing waste is critical for a sustainable world. To live in balance with our environment and reach net zero, research shows we need to divert at least 65% of current waste back into circulation. There is no place to ‘throw it out’ on our planet home.

Our current system from extraction through to waste is unsustainable. Carbon emissions are produced during the manufacture of excess goods, through transportation around the world, and then if items are thrown away - even more greenhouse gases are produced during landfill and incineration.

We need to move to a circular economy, where raw materials and external pollution are accounted for within the system. That means reducing consumption, reusing what we have, repairing broken goods, recycling materials back into circulation, and only as a last resort sending to landfill or incineration.

Circular Economy… an economy where products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, and composting (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2025)

The UK is the second highest producer of e-waste per capita in the world, with the average UK resident producing 24.5kg of e-waste per year. This means the UK contributed far more than our fair share to the 62 million metric tonnes of e-waste that were generated globally in 2022. In its 2024 “Beyond Recycling of E-Waste” report, the Restart Project found that 85% of the British public think that electrical products in good condition should be kept in use through being repaired/refurbished (38%) or donated/sold (47%).

Engineering education for sustainable development

Engineering has a critical role to play in the transition to a circular economy. The Engineering Council (2025) states that engineers ‘have a stewardship role with respect to the planet’s finite resources’ … ‘with a responsibility to use resources efficiently and effectively, and to take account of the whole life cycle from the design phase to manufacturing and use, and to end-of-life waste management’.

That’s where engineering education is vital. There is a growing need for employees with the necessary knowledge about sustainable technologies, infrastructure, and practices.

Sustainability is a core competency within the UK Specification for Engineers (Engineering Council, 2021) and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals has been embedded within many engineering courses (Lamere et al., 2021). However, engineering students need time and space to develop the skills and behaviours to truly enable sustainable development.

That’s why the MAKERS project team developed this guide. We argue that Repair Cafés in campus Makerspaces provide a supportive social space to mentor engineering students with practical, hands-on experience in making and repair for sustainability.

Sustainable Development… economic development that is capable of being maintained at a steady level without exhausting natural resources or causing severe ecological damage.

(Collins English Dictionary)

Repair Cafés are sustainability in action, bringing together environmental, social, and economic goals. Not only that, but research literature, as well as our own evaluation evidence, show that Repair Cafés support under-represented groups to develop their identity, belonging, and skills in engineering. As inherently social, intergenerational spaces, they enable engineers to practice hands-on techniques and contribute towards communal goals – making a difference to people and planet.

3. EVIDENCE FOR MAKERSPACES AND REPAIR CAFÉS

Inclusive engineering education

Engineering employment in the UK suffers from significant under-representation of women and people from Black and Asian backgrounds. An EngineeringUK 2025 update on the UK workforce indicated that that only 17% of the workforce are women, compared to 56% in other occupations. Minority ethnic groups make up 14%, compared with 18% in other employment (EngineeringUK, 2025). Drivers for this include a reported lack of belonging within the subject (Andrews et al., 2021) and negative perceptions of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) careers (Keune et al., 2019).

14%

17% Women in Engineering workforce

Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds

(Engineering UK, 2024)

Educators play a role in enabling more students to take these subjects and in supporting them to continue into engineering jobs. This could include outreach activities which improve the visibility of engineering and diverse role models amongst school children. Where children can see representation, it fosters the idea that ‘it could be me’ (Fogg Rogers and Hobbs, 2019). Within higher education, access to opportunities for hands-on activities alongside core degree programmes has been shown to improve students’ sense of belonging (Andrews et al., 2021).

Makerspace: a place where people can come together to create or invent things, things, either using traditional crafts or technology.

(Cambridge Dictionary)

Many universities and colleges already offer Makerspaces in their curriculum and campuses to enhance practical learning and innovation. They aim to provide students with real-world experiences and hands-on skills, while fostering a culture of creativity and collaboration. While some have formally timetabled classes and assessed projects, others provide an extra-curricular experience for students to work on their own projects.

Universities typically equip Makerspaces with a range of tools and materials, including 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, and various raw materials. They also provide access to workshops, training sessions, and technical support to help students make the most of the facilities. (You can find out more in our Resources section: “MAKERS” on page 46)

Research indicates that under-represented students need support to feel comfortable using Makerspaces. Women may feel excluded from workspaces with messy, heavy equipment, which are male-dominated (Hynes and Hynes, 2018).

Traditional skills and hands-on activities have been shown to improve identity and agency in science and technology for Black men (Greene et al., 2019). Technical equipment in itself is not enough; research indicates that technological activities which draw on wider societal or environmental purpose (communal

goals) are more attractive to women (Diekman & Steinberg, 2013, Fuesting et al., 2021).

Makerspaces need to be designed as constructionist spaces to enable ‘equitable engagement’ where students are supported to learn technical skills and develop agency in their projects (Keune et al., 2019). In practicebased learning, students can make their own investigations into real world problem solving allowing them to build these skills (Lamere et al., 2024). For everyone, a tangible experience of a sustainability issue is the repair and reuse of everyday items.

Repair Cafés

Repair Cafés have emerged as a popular method of empowering individuals to take part in sustainable practices by reducing their own waste and helping to conserve resources (Charter & Keiller, 2016). Repair Cafés were developed in the Netherlands in 2007, as a response to a ‘throwaway society’, with the Repair Café Foundation estimating that there are now over 2,500 worldwide (Repair Café Foundation, 2024). In the UK, Repair Cafés

are commonly run by volunteers in locations like community centres, churches and libraries (Spekkink et al., 2020), where they fix a variety of items such as electricals, woodwork, bikes, textiles, and jewellery in pop-up sessions.

For students, participation in a Repair Cafés can provide a wide range of learning experiences. It provides a contextual background for learning about sustainability that gives students insight into waste, circularity and ‘design for repair’.

As Repair Cafés are inherently handson, volunteers make repairs using their own knowledge, intuition and skills to determine faults and fix them (Cole & Gnanapragasam, 2017). This is enabled through knowledge exchange where interaction with diverse types of people is needed.

A Repair Café can provide a space for practice-based learning that supports engagement of students from underrepresented backgrounds, contributes to the development of technical and communication skills, and actively engages students in a sustainability challenge.

4. MAKERS REPAIR CAFÉ

The MAKERS Repair Café was launched on the UWE Bristol campus in October 2023, in the School of Engineering’s Makerspace, which is an open-access atrium in the centre of the building. The Repair Café runs as a pop-up activity for two hours, scheduled on a monthly basis in term-time.

Out of 44 student participants who provided their gender and attended at least 2 sessions between October 2023 and May 2025, 39% were women (compared to 17% in the UK Engineering workforce) and 60% were from Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic backgrounds (compared to 14% in the UK) (EngineeringUK, 2024). The students were supported by 17 staff (academics and technicians), 7 community Repair Café volunteers from the Bristol Repair Café network, and 8 industry helpers. Items for repair were brought into the café by staff, students, and community members, and included textiles, electronics, glasses, toys, and other household goods.

MAKERS Repair Café Layout

5. CREATING MAKERS SPACES

MAKERS projects bring together the technical prowess of Makerspaces with the community can-do spirit of a Repair Café. MAKERS projects aim to tackle waste, support student skill development, and co-develop solutions to community problems.

Getting started

Setting up a MAKERS Repair Café on a university or college campus can be daunting, but remember, there are many precedents to follow. Here are our top tips for conquering bureaucracy!

Strategy: Align with institutional priorities. These can include Civic University aims, Sustainability goals, Circular Economy priorities, Student Experience benefits, and enhanced support for under-represented students. This will help you to develop a business case to launch the MAKERS activities.

Funding: MAKERS initially had support from the Royal Academy of Engineering but now continues under the banner of Sustainability and Circular Economy initiatives. You could seek support from industry partners or student experience funding.

Insurance: Ensure to clear the launch of a project with your institutional insurance experts. Repair Cafés are held all over the world and on several university campuses, so there are precedents to follow. All campuses already hold Public Liability Insurance, so this covers most events.

Risk assessments: Conduct a generic risk assessment for the space set-up and general tool use. Once your activities are set-up, provide a brief safety talk and highlight risk management at the start of each event.

Liability: Repairs are often not covered under company warranties, so it is best to only work on older items. Repairs are usually conducted under voluntary consent, so the item owner provides consent for the repairer to look at the object, with no guarantee of it being fixed. This can be emphasised with signs which make clear that all repairs are voluntary, with no fee, but also no guarantee of success.

Technical support

Holding the MAKERS activities in a technical area, such as an engineering building or Makerspace provides additional assurance for activities, as the area is already set up for higher risk activities. Partnering with experienced technicians is essential to provide hands-on, practical skill support. To ensure the space appeals to all students, include a variety of repairs and skills together, such as electricals, mechanicals, textiles, bikes, and even jewellery!

“The role of the technician should not be to do the repairs. It’s easy to get carried away because doing the repairs is fun! The technician should be there to ensure that everyone has everything they need to be able to carry out repairs in a safe environment.”

University technician

In the MAKERS Repair Café, technicians were able to facilitate sessions, provide upskilling opportunities for students, and ensure that safety was maintained at an acceptable standard. Typical responsibilities for technicians were:

• Safety briefing at the start of sessions

• Set-up of electrical stations

• Ensuring safety throughout the sessions

• Conducting PAT (portable appliance testing) of electrical items

• Locating and using specialist tools and equipment

“Just get someone with experience to say, “don’t worry, this is how you do it.” Because… it was pretty scary but getting past that initial period, once it gains traction, you’re off.”

Community repairer

Health and safety guidance

Electrical safety

• Check and test mains-operated devices on arrival and before leaving.

• Test any item before plugging it into the mains; repaired items should be PAT tested before leaving.

• Only repair mains equipment if you are competent.

• Unplug devices before opening or working on them, and never bypass safety features.

• Inspect plugs and wiring, especially on older equipment, to ensure they meet good standards.

General safety

• Safety is everyone’s responsibility

• If you are not sure, ask

• Household items can still be dangerous

• Keep workspaces tidy

• Do not consume spillable drinks at repair tables

• Be cautious when opening devices or applying force

• Only use tools that you are trained to use

• Use appropriate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

• Trailing cables must be taped to the floor where possible or kept away from foot traffic

• If a device has tripped a circuit, reconnect only once the fault is fixed.

• Capacitors and power supplies can hold dangerous voltages long after disconnection

• If you smell burning, unplug immediately and alert the safety volunteer

• When soldering, use good ventilation or fume extraction.

Preparing for emergencies

• Ensure a first aid kit is accessible

• Make sure first aiders are known

• Inform all visitors of the location of fire exits

Equipment, tools, and physical set-up

Thoughtful planning of space and equipment is crucial for both functionality and learning outcomes.

“I think the big thing is that you have to start sustainable. Essentially take leftover assets from the university and just apply them towards the repair programme until it’s built up to a decent place.”

Student participant

Sourcing tools: Many departments will already have basic tools; supplement these with donations, grants, or partnerships (e.g. local hardware stores, community makerspaces). Ensure you have essential kits for each station e.g. sewing machines, soldering irons, multi-meters, toolkits, PAT tester, lighting.

Portable infrastructure: Mobile tool trolleys, folding tables, and wheeled storage make it easier to host events in different parts of campus or in non-technical spaces.

“It’s definitely access to the knowledge, but potentially the equipment and the tools. I have had cases where I’ve said “I just need an M5 nut.” And you can go and root through the stores and get little things like that.”

Community repairer

Introducing circularity: Avoid single-use materials where possible, use second-hand fixtures (e.g. stools, signage), and display broken parts for educational storytelling. If relevant, connect the cafe to waste audits or lifecycle assessments in the curriculum.

“I think there was a case where they used the milling machine or the lathe or something to make a customised tool or something that didn’t have the tool. Like, the tool didn’t exist, as such. So they took a tool and then took it to the workshop and then shaved something off or whatever, and then you could use it.”

Community repairer

6. TOOL LIST

Basic hand tools

• Screwdrivers (flat-head, Phillips, Torx, precision)

• Allen/hex keys

• Spanner set

• Socket wrenches

• Pliers (needle nose, combination, locking, wire cutters)

• Hammers (claw, rubber mallet)

• Utility knives / box cutters

• Hand drill and drill bits

• Drill bits (wood, metal)

• Hacksaw

• Dremel set

• Hot air gun

Fasteners and adhesives

• Replacement screws and nails

• Hot metal glue gun

• Variety of glue types (e.g., super, aroldite, wood glue)

Electronics and electrical repairs

• Multimeter

• Soldering iron, solder and solder flux

• PAT testing machine

• Desoldering pump or braid

• Wire strippers

• Electrical tape

• Heat shrink tubing

• Spare wires (various gauges)

• Cable ties

• Extension cords / multiplug

• Battery tester

• Contact cleaner spray

• Spare plugs, fuses, batteries, wires (in a range of sizes)

Textile repairs

• Sewing needles (hand and machine)

• Sewing machine (if available)

• Threads (various colours)

• Scissors (fabric and thread snips)

• Pins and pin cushions

• Seam ripper

• Fabric patches

• Measuring tape

• Buttons, zippers, velcro

• Iron and ironing board

Cleaning supplies

• Microfiber cloths

• Compressed air canister

• Brushes (small and large)

• Isopropyl alcohol (for electronics)

• Surface cleaner/wipes

• Cotton buds

Miscellaneous

• Small containers for screws and parts

• Masking tape

• Markers

• Repair putty

• Board markers

• Desk lamps or head torches

Safety equipment

• First aid kit

• Safety goggles

• Dust masks or respirators

• Safety signs

7. ORGANISING THRIVING MAKERS SPACES

The role of the Repair Café coordinator

A dedicated and organised Coordinator is essential to the smooth running and long-term sustainability of a campus Repair Café. This role can be fulfilled by a member of staff, a trained student, or a combination of individuals working collaboratively. In all cases, it requires both administrative capability and people skills to manage the logistics, relationships, and communications that underpin a successful Repair Café.

The Coordinator’s responsibilities typically include the following:

Pre-event planning and preparation

• Room bookings: Secure appropriate venues with sufficient space, ventilation, and access to power. Consider accessibility and proximity to key facilities (toilets, step-free access, etc.).

• Advertising the events: Promote through institution communications channels and event pages, student unions, digital screens, department mailing lists, and social media. Also use external platforms, such as local Facebook groups to get the word out to the local community. (See “UWE Bristol Repair Café advertising examples” on page 37)

• Parking and transport: Encourage visitors to use alternative transport, where possible and share information on public transport and bike routes. Ensure there is enough parking where

needed.

• Volunteer recruitment: Identify and invite potential volunteers from across the institution and wider community, including students, staff, industry partners, and local residents. Aim for a core team with a good skill level to ensure all repairs are done safely and competently. Technicians in electronics and textiles departments have great skillsets for a Repair Café, and are also typically familiar with the institutions health and safety requirements. You can also connect with Repair Café groups in your local area to find skilled volunteers. Meeting people in person at a Repair Café normally works best, as many community volunteers won’t be online or use social media.

Once you have your core team assembled, you can cast your net wider and invite student volunteers who are new to repairing to work and learn alongside the experienced repairers. (see “Student volunteer recruitment” on page 22”) You may also want to ask volunteers to fill in a sign-up form with their contact details and any other relevant information that meet the General Data Protection Regulation guidelines.

• Hospitality and refreshments: Refreshments contribute to the social aspect of the café. Ensure compliance with institutional guidelines on food provision. Clearly label all food to minismise the risk of allergic reactions. Avoid anything containing peanuts.

• Liaison with internal and external partners: Coordinate with relevant departments (e.g. Engineering, Fashion & Textiles, Estates, Health & Safety) and external supporters (e.g. local repair groups, Restart Project). Ensure any other regular users of the venue space are aware of the event and any guidelines and requirements in relation to its use are met. Depending on the type of venue, you may also want to notify the Security, Transport, and Hospitality Team to ensure any potential risks are accounted for.

• Managing capacity: To avoid overcrowding and long wait times, consider a booking system. This can be a basic MS or Google form, or even just a spreadsheet. Collect some basic information on the items that are to be repaired and make sure you have enough repairers with the required skills available on the day (see “Repair booking app” on page 41).

• Supporting people with additional needs: Ensure there is enough seating for people struggling to stand for a long time. You may also want to consider a quiet area for those with sensory sensitivities. Avoid additional background noise, such as loud music, especially if there are people with hearing aids attending.

• Separating the work area: Avoid people from the public accessing the work area. A recommended room layout is a horseshoe, with the repair area and all tools being located around the outside.

• Stock checks: Ensure adequate supplies of consumables - thread, scrap fabric, hand tools, spare parts, etc.

• Reminder email to existing volunteers: Send a reminder email to existing volunteers a week before the event and ask them to confirm their intention to support. This information will help with managing capacity and repair booking requests. (see “Posters and Flyers” on page 38).

On-the-day coordination

• Set-up and equipment check: Arrive early to set up workstations, signage, and hospitality areas. Test all equipment, such as sewing machines and power supplies.

• Volunteer management: Sign volunteers in, allocate roles, provide paired mentoring support, and induct new helpers. New volunteers should receive essential information beforehand, ideally by email (see “Posters and Flyers” on page 38). A Health & Safety mini briefing at each session is useful to ensure everyone is aware of protocols.

• Repair bookings: If using a booking system, manage incoming appointments; otherwise, oversee any drop-in queuing systems and keep customers informed.

• General oversight: Respond to queries from both visitors and volunteers, manage the overall flow of the event, and maintain a calm, welcoming atmosphere.

• Manual repair tracker: Maintain a visible whiteboard or chart recording items brought in, status of repairs, and who is working on what item (see ”The check-in board at the UWE Bristol Repair Café” on page 27).

Post-event tasks

• Data management: Input repair data into the Fixometer online portal or other tracking tools. This helps quantify impact and supports funding or reporting needs.

• Volunteer follow-up: Send a thankyou message after each café, including outcomes from the session (e.g. items repaired, CO₂ saved) and next steps.

• Social media: Share photos, quotes, and data post-event to celebrate achievements and promote the next café. Ensure anyone featured in the photos has given consent for these to be published.

• Student reward management: Track student participation if a rewards system is in place and distribute incentives where appropriate.

• Stock and funding: Monitor supplies and seek additional funding or support when running low. Teams dealing with student experience or sustainability and waste can be good to approach for financial support. Potentially even local companies who have an existing partnership with the institution. For scrap fabrics or technical equipment and supplies try the relevant technician teams.

• Workshop coordination: Plan and promote any related activities, such as repair skills workshops or sustainability talks.

Strategic and ongoing development

• Funding applications: Actively seek funding opportunities to sustain or expand the initiative. Collaborate with institutional development or research teams where applicable.

• Monitoring and evaluation: Periodically assess the café’s impact, using both quantitative (e.g. repair data) and qualitative (e.g. feedback) methods.

• Documentation and reporting: Keep a photographic and written record of each session to support continuity, impact assessment, and promotion.

Inclusive outreach and communications

Creating an inclusive and welcoming environment is key to the success of a campus Repair Café. Outreach and recruitment efforts should aim to reflect the diversity of the student and local community and provide opportunities for students and volunteers from a range of backgrounds and skill levels to participate.

The physical space plays an important role in fostering this inclusivity. Where possible, the Repair Café should be laid out with clearly defined zones: a welcome desk, repair areas (electrical, mechanical, textiles), and a refreshments area to encourage socialising and informal exchange among participants. Including textile repair helps balance the perception that repair spaces are traditionally masculine or male-dominated and opens participation to those with a wide range of skills and interests.

Student volunteer recruitment

Sustained student engagement is essential, especially following the summer break when many former volunteers may have graduated. Begin the academic year by collaborating with the students’ union to run welcome-back events or practical workshops to introduce students to the Repair Café concept (see example poster “Repair skills workshop” on page 38). These sessions offer an opportunity to showcase the benefits of participation, including:

• Building practical and technical skills

• Enhancing employability through realworld experience

• Supporting climate action and sustainability goals

• Forming friendships and learning alongside professionals

Timing activities to align with existing welcome initiatives or cross-promoting through other campus events can help maximise reach and visibility.

Outreach can be further expanded by connecting with relevant student societies, including those focused on sustainability and climate, engineering, Makerspaces, craft, or textiles. These groups often attract students with aligned interests and can help foster a sense of community around the Repair Café.

Engaging community and industry volunteers

In addition to students, experienced volunteers from the local community and industry bring valuable technical skills and mentorship to the Repair Café. Effective approaches include:

• Contacting technicians from engineering, textiles, or digital departments

• Reaching out to community Repair Café networks (e.g. via Facebook groups like “Bristol Repair Cafés”)

• Posting calls for volunteers on STEM Ambassador networks

• Contacting local businesses and professionals through LinkedIn, especially those interested in sustainability, education, or engineering outreach

Social media and institutional support

“I found it on Instagram by chance. Flyers or something should be pasted in places where students go to. Maybe students union or just more places, basically.”

Student participant

Social media is an essential tool in volunteer recruitment. For students, platforms like Instagram and TikTok can showcase the Repair Café’s atmosphere, successes, and volunteer experiences through short videos and imagery. Featuring students and sharing before and after repair shots or stories can be especially compelling.

Reach out to the institution’s central marketing and communications teams and the student union’s media channels for support amplifying your posts or including event listings in broader institutional campaigns. These teams often have wider reach and can support promotion to a broad student base.

It is also valuable to partner with your Sustainability Team, who can help raise awareness through their own channels and events. Their networks often include students already engaged with climate, circular economy, and reuse initiatives, making them ideal ambassadors and volunteers.

Hands-on intergenerational learning

Our research found that students valued working in groups with experienced repairers, so they can learn through doing, while asking for support with specific tasks. This intergenerational and peer mentoring is a key strength of a campus Repair Café model.

Students are paired with experienced repairers, which may include community volunteers, industry professionals, STEM Ambassadors, or more experienced student participants who have attended multiple sessions. This structure supports informal mentoring and knowledge exchange, creating a unique learning environment that bridges generations and professional experiences.

“It’s been interesting to see their backgrounds, to listen to their backgrounds and just knowing that…you never really stop being an engineer and being able to carry on using the skills you have and… passing the skills down to generations”.

“It was just the gathering, meeting people from all backgrounds. Meeting [retired] people, even the volunteers actually repairing stuff were, like, experienced people from big companies, which was quite fascinating. I just used to talk to a lot of people there and it was it was fun.”

Student participants

The opportunity to work side-by-side with experienced individuals allows students to build practical skills, develop confidence, and gain insight into real-world engineering

It has been very interesting seeing the practical skills, and sometimes lack of them, amongst even the engineering students and reflecting back on what I was like at that age, which was probably no better. So I think it’s revealed a gap even in engineering education, quite apart from learning how to repair stuff. It has been interesting to see how enthusiastic they are to learn”.

Community repairer

Skills development and skills exchange

The Repair Café offers a unique environment for hands-on skills development through practical workshops and informal skills exchange. Unlike traditional classroom settings, the café provides a low-pressure space where students can experiment, problem-solve, and learn by doing—often with broken items that reduce the fear of making mistakes. This encourages risk-taking, curiosity, and creativity, which are essential for building practical confidence.

Volunteers learn not only how things work but also how to communicate technical concepts clearly to others, an important but often overlooked skill in engineering and other disciplines. The presence of experienced repairers and peers ensures that guidance is always available, allowing less experienced volunteers to build their abilities through observation, collaboration, and direct mentoring. Over time, students develop both technical proficiency and interpersonal skills, which are highly transferable to professional contexts.

“It’s one thing to academically know how something works. It’s very much another to be able to either explain how it works or ask the right questions to find out what’s wrong with it to someone that doesn’t have the same level of knowledge as you. That’s an enormously valuable skill for an engineering industry, and something that is not really done that much in the rest of the, you know, regular modules.”

“Sort of the low pressure of it, if that makes sense. It’s people bringing in broken stuff, so I... there’s very little chance that I’m going to break it even more, so I could keep going at it and not have the pressure of making sure I have to get these done.”

“I think one of the best things is that there’s so many people from here who are skilled at this. So if I don’t know what I’m doing there will just be someone like [I can say to], ‘please help me’.

Student participants

Setting up regular Repair Cafés

Hosting a monthly Repair Café works well because it provides a regular and predictable opportunity for students, staff, and community members to engage with hands-on sustainability in a relaxed and social setting. The monthly rhythm helps maintain momentum, encourages ongoing participation, and allows volunteers to build confidence and skills over time. It also creates a visible and recurring presence on campus.

At UWE Bristol, we held our Repair Cafés on Wednesday afternoon when no teaching was scheduled, ensuring that everyone who wanted to participate was able to.

“I think the incentives for helping out are really good, and it’s only once a month, so the time commitment’s not bad. If you’re coming to [university] for a minimum of three years - one of those three years, you’re going to have Wednesdays available.”

Student participant

Creating a welcoming and student-centred environment

Creating a welcoming and student-centred environment begins with designing the Repair Café as a mixed-skills space where students with a range of interests and backgrounds can participate equally. Holding dedicated social time before the event allows student volunteers to connect with one another, build confidence, and share food and conversation in a relaxed setting.

Where possible, an open and visible location will feel welcoming and safe. It helps to ensure that the Repair Café can be seen. At UWE Bristol, the MAKERS project emphasised the diversity of the Repair Café by showing people from diverse backgrounds repairing in our social media communications.

The informal nature of the event makes it easier to build friendships and social connections, particularly for those who might find it difficult to engage in more formal settings.

“It just made socialising a bit easier. Getting to do something you can both talk about.”

“It’s probably representation. I guess I’m seeing other students of my race as well. And then also I feel like there’s been a significant amount of women here as well. It’s been quite good.”

“I think for diversity, it’s pretty good. I see everyone’s working together. No one’s really sticking around with people, everyone is kind of integrating. It’s really nice”.

“When I started, I just didn’t know where to begin. I didn’t know how to start repairing it, but then I started, when I was paired up with people, they’d help me, tell me what to do. So I got more and more confident what to look for.”

“For one of the people, she’s Nigerian as well, so we just spoke briefly about our culture and I know there was a time I brought a fabric and she was really interested in the fabric, it kind of signifies our culture.”

Student participants

Matching items and available repairers

A well-organised process for matching repair items with available repairers is key to running a smooth and effective Repair Café. Many campus-based cafés benefit from using a booking system in advance of the event, allowing organisers to gauge the volume and type of repairs expected (e.g. textiles, electronics, mechanical devices) and match them to the expertise of the volunteers available. We used the Microsoft Bookings app (see “Repair booking app” on page 41). On the day, a clearly signposted welcome desk serves as the first point of contact for visitors, helping to create a friendly and inclusive atmosphere. Here, volunteers can check people in, confirm bookings, or take walk-ins where capacity allows.

Once items are logged, a triage process helps to quickly assess what type of repair (i.e. textiles, electronics, mechanical) and skill level (beginner, intermediate, expert) is needed needed and direct visitors to the appropriate

team of repairers or station. This not only helps manage time and resources effectively, but also ensures that volunteers are matched to repairs that align with their skills, while offering opportunities for peer learning where appropriate. Triage volunteers may also help manage expectations—some repairs may take longer, require spare parts, or need to be referred to specialist services.

“With the skills list, if you’re repairing you can say, “these are the skills I have.” And then online, there’s a list of things that we take in. So like the basic electronics, maybe the jewellery and the clothing, and essentially, when you’re setting up a session, you can cross that to the repairers that have those skills.”

Student participant

Employability incentives

Incentives can play an important role in encouraging student participation, especially in the early stages of establishing a campus Repair Café. While not every initiative will have access to formal funding, there are a range of low-cost and creative approaches that can help attract and retain volunteers, particularly for students balancing competing priorities.

For those with some funding or institutional support, low-cost rewards, such as basic toolkits or vouchers, can be offered after students attend multiple sessions. This not only encourages continued involvement, but also supports students to build confidence and apply their skills outside the Repair Café.

“You offer pizza, they’ll come once. You offer a repair kit after they’ve come three times, they’ll come three times. But employability gives them a reason to keep coming back.”

Sustainability advisor

Crucially, many students are motivated by employability and skill development. Highlighting opportunities to work alongside professionals, such as community repairers, technicians, and industry-based STEM Ambassadors, can be a powerful incentive. Informal mentoring, hands-on learning, and visible pathways to careers in sustainability and engineering make these events valuable beyond volunteering. Even simple recognition tools like digital badges, participation certificates, or shout-outs on social media can help students demonstrate their involvement to future employers.

Ultimately, incentives that combine social connection, skill-building, and career relevance tend to have the greatest longterm impact.

“I gave feedback to have more encouragement towards employment, because that’s most appealing to students from wherever background.”

“I think incentives definitely work. At the very start, I was like, “oh, it’d be nice to get one of those little fix kits, right? And then once I started going a few more times, it’s like, “I’ve got the kit, but I kind of like going anyway.” So I just keep going.”

Student participants

Sustainability outcomes

Feedback from MAKERS participants suggests that Repair Cafés can play a significant role in fostering sustainable behaviours and shifting attitudes around consumption and waste. Students often reflect on the value of developing practical repair skills not just for their own benefit, but also for the tangible impact these actions have on others, whether it’s saving an item from landfill, extending the life of a loved possession, or helping someone else make their belongings usable again.

This kind of activity creates a powerful sense of purpose: learning becomes directly connected to sustainability outcomes. For many, Repair Cafés serve as a gateway to broader interest in reuse, circular economy principles, and hands-on making. Simply seeing that repair is achievable helps to build the confidence needed to try fixing more things independently.

Participants also report that access to tools and materials at Repair Cafés enables them to experiment, repurpose, and extend their sustainable practices at home. For some, the experience has supported deeper engagement with second-hand shopping, upcycling, and more conscious consumption. In this way, Repair Cafés offer not only immediate environmental benefits but also contribute to long-term shifts in behaviour and mindset around sustainability.

“I mean, there’s a lot of volunteering things going on. There’s a lot of things I could learn. But it’s nice that whatever I do learn also has a positive impact on someone else as well.”

“There’s certainly a thing that just by popping into one of these kind of environments and seeing how achievable repair is and also just getting there’s something addictive about fixing stuff isn’t there? And actually realising what you can fix yourself is certainly a gateway drug to doing more maker-oriented things”.

“Before, I was kind of getting into second-hand shopping and making new things out of things I owned, but now, especially because I have access to the machines, I can actually make things, cut things up and see what happens.”

Student participants

8. COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

A core aspect of the MAKERS project was community engagement, with the recognition that not all community members will be able to, or want to, visit a college or university campus. The project therefore co-developed activities with communities, which were held in community venues. These activities enhanced the visibility of repair and green skills in communities, as well as provided opportunities for upskilling students.

Engaging with communities also offers an opportunity to learn from other cultures or generations about repair skills and practices. Many community groups stated that reuse and repair is essential for lowerincome communities, and emphasised how universities can learn from these practices.

“And repair, recycling, maintenance, you know, it’s what people have been doing for donkey’s years, it’s not new. It’s just so much of the system now is not occupied, staffed by, people who have that experience. They’ve always grown up with a nice house that was centrally heated and all that, and every time something needed repair, it just got thrown. And the people down the road who couldn’t throw it away until it was beyond salvage have never been involved in that conversation”.

“You know, years ago and, you know, even culturally speaking, but I’ll say back home so you know, the Global South, if you like. It was very normal to just to fix things. Rather than think, ‘oh, it’s going cost me this much to just buy a new one, so why don’t I just throw it away and buy a new one’, which is what we think now. And I have arguments about that with people because it’s like, ‘no fix it!’.

Community participants

Engineering workshops in St Pauls

The MAKERS project introduced young people in St Pauls to engineering through a series of practical workshops co-designed with local groups—Bridging Histories, Each One Teach One, and Fancy Finance. From coding and electronics to bike repair and digital design, the sessions aimed to build skills, confidence, and awareness of engineering careers. Visits included UWE Bristol’s Engineering Building and Pytch Bristol, a sustainable event production company. With many participants new to higher education, the project created a welcoming environment and laid the groundwork for lasting community–university partnerships.

Sensor repair in Easton

MAKERS collaborated with community partners in Bristol’s Easton area to support a local clean air campaign by helping residents repair and maintain air quality sensors. UWE students worked directly with Easton residents to diagnose and fix malfunctioning sensors used to monitor pollution across the neighbourhood. Engineering students guided residents through troubleshooting, soldering, and reassembly, allowing broken sensors to return to service.

TinkerCAD – Design for repair

MAKERS hosted a hands-on workshop where students and community repairers learned to use 3D printing to design plastic parts for repairs Participants were introduced to Tinkercad, a user-friendly 3D design tool, enabling beginners to design and print replacement parts. A highlight was producing a new plastic bracket for a 40-year-old cot, demonstrating how 3D printing can extend the life of household items.

Sewing workshops in Eastville

MAKERS partnered with the Old Library in Eastville to deliver sewing and upcycling workshops that promoted practical skills, creativity, and sustainable fashion. For the local community, five workshops were codelivered with Re_Thrindle, a sustainable fashion workshop provider, with a focus on sewing machine use and garment repair— prioritising residents on low incomes and supported by UWE students. Separately, Fairfield High School students took part in a six-week sewing course exploring textile arts through a sustainability lens. The project celebrated participants’ progress with a public exhibition and laid the foundations for further creative, community-led learning.

9. EVALUATING IMPACT

Running a university or college Repair Café has so many benefits, for students, staff, and communities. Each event will have a series of outputs (e.g. number of items fixed, numbers engaging), which will lead to outcomes (e.g. carbon emissions saved, costs reduced for communities) and ultimately to impacts for people and planet. These benefits can count as Research with Impact or Civic Engagement for universities, but only with evidence. That’s why evaluating your efforts is important, both to show the impact for communities but also staff and students. Evaluation is also the only way to discover if you have been achieving your strategic aims.

Methods to consider include:

• Event observations

• Key indicators and metrics

• Demographics of students and community members participating

• Skills gained

• Tracking environmental impact

• Counting and describing items, and whether they were fixed or not

• Weighing items to calculate CO2 savings, waste diverted

• Participant feedback from questionnaires or suggestion boards

• Follow-up interviews or questionnaires (see example “Interview questions asked in the follow-up interviews with MAKERS community partners and student Repair Café volunteers:” on page 44)

• Linking with institutional sustainability goals and strategies

A great way to track data on physical repairs and the CO₂ and greenhouse emissions you’re helping to avoid is by using the Fixometer tool by the Restart Project. You can sign up to join a wider community of repair enthusiasts and see the collective impact of repair efforts across various networks.

The Open Repair Alliance is a global coalition of repair-focused organisations that collect and share data from community repair events to promote more durable and repairable products. They created the Open Repair Data Standard to unify and publish repair data in a consistent open format. The information collected on Restarters contributes to this dataset.

In the MAKERS project, the evaluation strategy employed a mixed-methods approach, using both quantitative and qualitative data to capture the range and depth of impact. Ethics Approval was provided by the University Research Ethics Committee and all participants received Information Sheets and consented to participate in the research. Students completed online mixed methods questionnaires before and after joining the MAKERS project. These surveys gathered demographic information, self- assessments of repair-related skills, confidence in engineering tasks (engineering self-efficacy), and attitudes toward sustainability. Surveys were analysed descriptively in Excel to provide demographic data about participants. Quantitative data also included environmental impact statistics. Each repaired item was logged using the Restart Project’s Fixometer tool, which calculated the amount of waste diverted from landfill and estimated carbon emissions avoided, diverted and we estimated that

2,375 kilograms of CO₂ emissions were prevented through the MAKERS Project. Interviews explored the participants’ experiences in depth, reviewing how their confidence, skills, and identity as engineering students evolved over time. Focus groups were held with students, community repair volunteers, and UWE staff, and were valuable for exploring the social dynamics within the café space, including intergenerational learning and cross-cultural exchange. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcripts, identifying key themes such as belonging, empowerment, practical skills development, and cultural representation. The quotes used throughout the toolkit have been extracted from the research data collected.

Following the MAKERS project, the Repair Café has been co-opted into the UWE Bristol Circular Economy Plan. The foundation for this has been the demonstration of measurable impact during the MAKERS project.

10. REFERENCES

Andrews, M.E., Borrego, M. and Boklage, A., 2021. Self-efficacy and belonging: The impact of a university makerspace. International Journal of STEM Education, 8, pp.1-18.

Cole, C. and Gnanapragasam, A., 2017. Community repair: enabling repair as part of the movement towards a circular economy.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2025. What is a circular economy? URL https://www. ellenmacarthurfoundation. org/topics/ circular-economy-introduction/ overview

Engineering Council, 2025. Guidance on Sustainability. URL https:// www.engc.org. uk/sustainability

Engineering Council, 2021. UK SPEC URL https://www.engc.org.uk/ standardsguidance/standards/uk-spec/

Engineering UK (2025). Engineering and technology workforce: May 2025. UK: Engineering UK.

Fogg-Rogers, L. and Hobbs, L. (2019). Catch 22 — improving visibility of women in science and engineering for both recruitment and retention JCOM 18(04), C05.

Fuesting, M.A., Diekman, A.B., Bautista, N., 2021. Integrating communal content into science lessons: An investigation of the beliefs and attitudes of preservice teachers. Sch Sci Math.

Greene, M.L., Coley, B.C., Kellam, N.N., 2019. Black men in the making: Engaging in makerspaces promotes agency and identityfor black males in engineering. CoNECD 2019 - Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity.

Hynes, M.M., Hynes, W.J., 2018. If you build it, will they come? Student preferences for Makerspace environments in higher education. Int J Technol Des Educ 28, 867–883.

Keune, A., Peppler, K.A., Wohlwend, K.E., 2019. Recognition in makerspaces: Supporting opportunities for women to “make” a STEM career. Comput Human Behav 99, 368–380.

Lamere, M., Brodie, L., Nyamapfene, A., Fogg-Rogers, L., Bakthavatchaalam, V., 2021. Mapping and Enhancing Sustainability Literacy and Competencies within an Undergraduate Engineering Curriculum Implementing sustainability education: A review of recent and current approaches, in: The University of Western Australia (Ed.), Proceedings of AAEE 2021. Perth, Australia.

Lamere, M., Leon, M., Fowles-Sweet, W., Yeomans, L., Fogg Rogers, L., 2024. Using problem and project-based learning to integrate sustainability in engineering education, in: Sustainability Toolkit. Engineering Professors’ Council.

Spekkink, W., Rodl, M., Charter, M., 2020. The Third Global Survey of Repair Cafés: A Summary of Findings. Manchester, UK.

11. RESOURCES

Repair Café and MakerspacesOnline resources and Examples

Online resources for setting up a Repair Caféo get start

Start Your Own Repair Café - Join the Movement: repaircafe.org/en/join/start-your-own

Repair options - The Restart Project: therestartproject.org/repair-options/

Getting Started - Community Repair Network: communityrepairnetwork.org.uk/how-to-run-a-repairgroup/getting-started/

CAfS (Cumbria Action for Sustainability)guide to setting up a Repair Café: cafs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CAfS-Guide-to-Setting-Up-a-Repair-Cafe.pdf

Restart project guide to University Repair Cafés: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qtnXjy-9qOaIRDf8llZI9SSzjbvEUWRICtJLYCJ6v3c/ edit?usp=sharing

Guidance: safety, risk and insurance at community repair events - How to repair in your community - The Restarters Community: talk.restarters.net/t/guidance-safety-risk-and-insurance-at-community-repair-events/568

Risk and insurance - Community Repair Network: communityrepairnetwork.org.uk/how-to-run-a-repairgroup/risk-and-insurance/

Tertiary Sector Makerspace Examples

Bristol University: Hack Space in the Merchant Venturers Building designed for hacking, making, and crafting, emphasising experimentation and collaboration. The Maker Space at the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, offers creative and collaborative spaces for students and staff.

University of Strathclyde: The Fab Lab offers 3D printers, cutters / etchers, CNC routers, electronics equipment and more. Is open to staff and students, as well as members of the public and SMEs.

University of Kent: The Shed maker space offers 3D printers, a laser cutter and metal fabrication machinery. The Shed can be used by students for their course related or personal projects.

University College London (UCL): Making Spaces is an international collaboration to understand and develop equitable practice in makerspaces. The project seeks to support and share equitable practice within the STEM sector. UCL also hosts the Institute of Making, a multi-disciplinary research club that focuses on the made world and offers students a space to explore making.

University of Sheffield: iForge Makerspace is a makerspace for students run by students. The facilities include laser cutters, 3D printers and a CNC router and mill.

Community and Industry Makerspaces

Fablabs: A network of community makerspaces aiming to act as a catalyst for change, supporting the design and modification of processes, as well as digital manufacture of product prototypes.

Makerversity: Situated in Somerset House, London, it offers a variety of workshops, making & prototyping facilities. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, designer, inventor, technologist, craftsman or engineer

Creative Lives in Progress: This online magazine features an article with a list of creative coworking groups and makerspaces across the UK.

Communities: Community-based Makerspaces include initiatives like the KWMC Factory - a digital Makerspace at Filwood Green Business Park, Bristol (part of Knowle West Media Centre). KWMC also makes media and film accessible for local community as part of their wider arts and creative work.

BLOQS is an open-access maker and community space. Centralised access to specialist machines and knowledge within a supportive and creative culture, so anyone can learn skills, grow a business, or explore an idea, and change their work and life. 32,000-square-foot hub of creativity and technical excellence.

MAKERS - Example communication materials

UWE Bristol Repair Café advertising examples

Blog post on UWE Bristol website about the relaunch of the Repair Café: https://blogs. uwe.ac.uk/engineering/the-makers-project-is-celebrating-the-return-of-its-repair-cafe-witha-repair-skills-day/

YouTube video about the Repair Café produced by the UWE Bristol Social Media Team: youtube.com/watch?v=E4qZm_vhXvg

Video about the UWE Bristol Repair Café and its wider impact produced by Repair Café team: https://youtu.be/fdO0Ze3fjmU

Instagram post (video) about the Repair Café produced by the UWE Bristol Social Media Team: https://www.instagram.com/p/DCHlalpMKBy/?hl=en

Restart website listing of the UWE Bristol Repair Café: https://therestartproject.org/groups/uwe-bristol-repair-cafe/ events/1105344854583404/1105344871250069/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_ history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22group%22%7D]%7D

UWE Bristol Repair Café listing on the local Bristol Repair Cafés Facebook Group:

UWE Bristol Student Union website event listing of the UWE Bristol Repair Café: https://www.thestudentsunion.co.uk/ents/event/14234/

Posters and Flyers

UWE Bristol Repair Café

Repair skills workshop

Repair Café volunteer communication resources

UWE Bristol Repair Café volunteer sign-up form: https://forms.office.com/e/vR5JURV1hX

Example email to new volunteers sent by the UWE Bristol Repair Café coordinator:

“Thank you so much for your interest in the Repair Café, it’s really great to see so much enthusiasm and love for all things repair and making!

The next session will take place on Wednesday 9th April in the Atrium of the School of Engineering. Repairers will be meeting from 11.45am onwards for safety inductions, and to get put into repair teams. There will be pizza and hot drinks on offer, too. Repairing starts at 12.15pm and finishes at 1.45pm. Please drop me a quick message if you are planning to join this session.

Repairs at the Repair Café are usually done in teams, so less experienced repairers work with more experienced repairers to fix the items that are brought in by the community. We will do our best to allocate you a space in a team should you choose to come along! We also have sewing machines and an overlocker available. Do let me know if you would like to learn how to use these.

There is a Teams Channel where we share any Repair Café related news and events. You can join using this link (link removed). We offer a number of rewards to students taking part, including repair kits, and skills badges. More info here. You can also use the facilities and equipment outside of the Repair Café hours to work on projects. Do let me know if this is something you would like to do and I can link you up with the relevant technicians!

I hope the above info is of some help! Please don’t hesitate to get in touch should you have any more questions!”

Email reminder to existing volunteers sent by UWE Bristol Repair Café coordinator:

“The next Repair Café at UWE’s School of Engineering is only one week away, and - if you haven’t already done so - it would be great if you could let me know if you are planning to support as a repairer (just so I can make sure I order enough pizzas!).

We will be meeting on Wed 12th March at 11.45am in the Atrium of the School of Engineering for food and catchups. Once [our technician] has given the safety talk, we’re ready to start fixing, at around 12.15pm. As always, people will be working in teams, and [our technician] will be there to assist and do any final safety checks before anything is plugged in.

Do let me know if you have any dietary requirements and / or require a space in the car park. And don’t hesitate to get in touch should you have any questions (or would like to be taken off the mailing list.”

Repair Café follow-up email to volunteers sent by UWE Bristol Repair Café coordinator:

“Thank you to everyone who came to support today’s Repair Café! Despite many people being off for Easter and lots of students being busy with exam prep it was a nice and busy session with lots of interesting repairs!

We have now collectively prevented 403kg of waste, and 2,849kg of CO2 emissions, which is amazing! Thank you all so much for playing a part in this!

Our next Repair Café will take place on May 14th, and it will be our last session for this academic year. We are already fully booked with more than 30 items expected... so great to see how our community has really embraced repair and how much our sessions have grown since we first started.

Please feel free to like, share and repost the update I put on [social media - link removed] as well and give yourselves all the credit you deserve!

Wishing you all a wonderful evening and hopefully see many of you next month!”

Other communications

Repair booking app

At UWE Bristol we used Microsoft Bookings: https://outlook.office.com/book/ RepairCafBookings@uweacuk.onmicrosoft.com/?ismsaljsauthenabled=true

MAKERS in the media

UWE Bristol Academic Laura Fogg-Rogers discusses the university’s new Repair Café on BBC Radio Bristol : https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/engineering/uwe-bristol-academic-laurafogg-rogers-discusses-the-universitys-new-repair-cafe-on-bbc-radio-bristol/

New Repair Café at School of Engineering brings together students and wider community: https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/engineering/new-repair-cafe-at-school-of-engineeringbrings-together-students-and-wider-community/

Students and community repairers explore 3D printing of spare parts: https://blogs.uwe. ac.uk/engineering/students-and-community-repairers-explore-3d-printing-of-spare-parts/

Eastville Old Library and the MAKERS Project: Cultivating Community through Food Growing and Sewing Workshops: https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/engineering/eastville-oldlibrary-and-the-makers-project-cultivating-community-through-food-growing-and-sewingworkshops/

MAKERS project brings engineering skills to young people in St Paul’s: https://blogs. uwe.ac.uk/engineering/makers-project-brings-engineering-skills-to-young-people-in-stpauls/

Partnership with Easton based Baggator Nexus leads to new community energy project: https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/engineering/partnership-with-easton-based-baggatornexus-leads-to-new-community-energy-project/

MAKERS is celebrating the return of its Repair Café with a repair skills day: https:// blogs.uwe.ac.uk/engineering/the-makers-project-is-celebrating-the-return-of-its-repaircafe-with-a-repair-skills-day/

How the MAKERS project is supporting students to develop hands-on skills and boost employability: https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/engineering/how-the-makers-project-is-supportingstudents-to-develop-hands-on-skills-and-boost-employability/

UWE Bristol students support Easton campaign for better air with repair skills: https:// blogs.uwe.ac.uk/engineering/uwe-bristol-students-support-easton-campaign-for-better-airwith-repair-skills/

Putting Share and Repair on the Map: Celebrating International Repair Day in Bristol: https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/engineering/putting-share-and-repair-on-the-map-celebratinginternational-repair-day-in-bristol/

Empowering sustainable repair at UWE Bristol: a collaborative tech repair workshop with FixMyTek: https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/engineering/empowering-sustainable-repair-atuwe-bristol-a-collaborative-tech-repair-workshop-with-fixmytek/

UWE Bristol’s MAKERS Project Wins Staff Award for Sustainability: https://blogs.uwe. ac.uk/engineering/uwe-bristols-makers-project-wins-staff-award-for-sustainability/

MAKERS and Environmental Film Club team up to screen “Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy”: https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/engineering/makers-and-environmental-film-clubteam-up-to-screen-buy-now-the-shopping-conspiracy/

Bristol Repair Coalition: building a city-wide culture of repair and reuse: https://blogs. uwe.ac.uk/engineering/bristol-repair-coalition-building-a-city-wide-culture-of-repair-andreuse/

Stitching confidence and sustainability: MAKERS Project supports young creatives at Fairfield Highschool: https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/engineering/stitching-confidence-andsustainability-makers-project-supports-young-creatives-at-fairfield-high/

UWE Bristol’s MAKERS Project at the Parliamentary Repair Café: https://blogs.uwe. ac.uk/engineering/uwe-bristols-makers-project-at-the-joins-the-parliamentary-repair-cafe/

Shaping a circular future: UWE Bristol hosts collaborative workshop on new demonstrator project: https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/engineering/shaping-a-circular-future-uwebristol-hosts-collaborative-workshop-on-new-demonstrator-project/

Evaluation tools

Interview questions asked in the follow-up interviews with MAKERS community partners and student Repair Café volunteers:

1) Please could you start by describing how you took part in the MAKERS project?

2) Could you describe the people you worked with on the project?

a. What sort of experiences or information did you share together?

b. Were the people like you? Or did you feel different?

c. Did the project create any social connections?

3) What do you think went well with the repair/making aspects of the project?

4) Academic research has suggested that repair and making communities support the participation of women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds in STEM. Has this been your experience in the project?

5) What could have been improved in the project to encourage participation for people from your background?

a. Community groups?

b. Students

6) Have you learnt any new skills or knowledge?

7) How do you feel about students and communities working together on sustainability issues?

8) What advice you would you pass on to help universities address more community issues and joint maker projects?

9) What advice would you pass on for other universities which want to set up Maker spaces or Repair Cafés?

10) Are there any questions that I have not asked that I should?

Evaluation survey links

Student initial survey: https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ex2NBxk4stdgJca

Student survey for feedback: https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ b72u0Nsa6Sc35oa

Repair item owners survey: https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bkCElFlDgB0ThJ4

MAKERS

We hope this guide has provided a useful toolkit for setting up your own MAKERS projects in the tertiary sector.

We are keen to extend the reach of the MAKERS project and hear from colleges and universities establishing similar practices. Please do get in touch if you would like to establish a network of practice.

Engineeringourfuture@uwe.ac.uk

uwe.ac.uk/makers