As a community-led organisation, our direction is set by our members. Our trustees follow this direction and are accountable to our members, who can replace them.

Our strategy iterates as members decide. Members are able to change course, usually at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) but also by directly engaging with our trustees. Being community-led means that the community of members is in overall control, not the trustees\ Officers of the Charity.

The Trustees present what they think is the strategy that members want to adopt, in enough time to get direct feedback from them, then put it to a vote of members at the AGM (which can by by proxy if members cannot attend in person). Trustees realise the strategy that members have agreed with them.

The problems we face

We are in a throwaway economy. Short-lived household goods eat resources – were they better designed, they would last longer.

The mountain of e-waste is exhausting our planet’s resources and increasing climate change. The UK is one of the largest producers of e-waste per capita according to a Uswitch study.

Over-consumption of resources like this fuels climate change, pollution and scarcity. Having to buy again too quickly costs us money, wastes our precious resources, drives up costs and causes a host of other problems we can avoid if we act together.

It can be hard to get things repaired locally, in Haringey and across the country. Household goods, especially gadgets, toasters, lamps, clothing etc can be unnecessarily difficult to fix.

Our response

Trustees build our strategy as dictated by members, to achieve the charitable purposes our members have agreed upon:

a) The promotion of repair and re-use to the people of the London Borough of Haringey

Tactic: We promote repair and re-use (r&r) by facilitating Repair Cafés, Members think the most sustainable way to hold them is to help local people band together, often by partnering with a local commnity-based organisation, with Haringey Fixers (HF for short) in the background, filling in where they cannot or do not want to.

So HF look for at least two local people who are prepared to accept the responsibility of putting on monthly events in a location central to their neighbourhood. Two is the least needed, so that one can go on holiday, miss a session etc

Organiser duties are to take responsibility for the event by, often with HF helping, working with volunteers who do the actual work.

There are two types of effort: ‘front of house’ and ‘back office’.

The venue needs to be easily accessible and have a small amount of storage space for tools and materials.

HF aim to help the community repair movement, local people, businesses, authorities and partners bring about locally focused solutions that work well. That includes high street repair, training schemes and, of course, community repair events (Repair Cafés).

b) Advancing the education of the public about all aspects of repair and re-use.

Tactic: This website contains some educational materials. We hold formal and informal training at our events and at our workshops.

We maintain a presence on Social Media notably our Facebook Group and local websites where we highlight our events with calls to action and items we have helped fix, and field queries.

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We expect to keep our need for money at a minimum as it is a barrier to entry. We have raised grants in the past and will do in future, to supplement the cost of putting on events.

A potential future

It doesn’t have to be this way. We can act together to change it. With a bit of help, can we fix our own stuff when needed. We can also use our buying power and lobbying to help shape the market so there are more longer-lasting goods available to us.

At the heart of our strategy is the idea that we can work together to help each other – we are stronger collectively than individually.

It can go even wider – here are some of the changes you help bring about by being involved in repair and re-use:

Our challenges

What we need continually is help internally – local people prepared to step forward and pitch in.

One way forward to bridge this gap is to find funding to help us better promote the opportunity we provide for people to help each other, Another is to employ staff where possible, without becoming trapped in the need to raise lots of money each year.

This strategy is to be ratified by members at least annually at our Annual General Meeting by voting for\against it or abstaining.

This strategy was ratified at our Year 2 AGM on 21st August 2025. Please note this is a living document that may change in some aspects but never depart from the express wish of the members.