Calling out for local fixers and menders!

Our regular fixing and mending workshop - Restart/Sewstart - has been getting more and more popular lately.

Whether it’s broken electrical or electronic items that people don’t want to throw away - a favourite bit of clothing or a bags that needs altering or mending - or a sewing machine that someone isn't sure how to use - more and more people are keen to fix things rather than throw them away.   Our September session had more than twice as many objects bought along to fix - check out all the happy people who were helped out by our volunteers!

But our growing popularity means we need more local fixers!

We'd love to find more people locally who'd like to join in.

Do you know someone who loves tinkering with things and making them work again?  Or someone who is handy with a sewing machine or a needle and thread and would be happy to share their skills?  

Do encourage them to come along and say hello at our next session  or email us for more information transitiontowntooting@gmail.com

13.30 - 16.30 on 30th November
Mushkil Aasaan, 220 - 222 Upper Tooting Road, SW17 7EW (next to Nando’s)   

We get lots of support from our partners The Restart Party with online resources and workshops - and we offer lots of thanks and cups of tea and biscuits on the day!

Restart Parties are a community self-repair space where you take responsibility for your own gadgets and data, so please don’t forget to take any back-ups beforehand, if relevant – and if possible arrive during the first two hours to allow time for fixing! 

More info about Restart including details of regular skillshares at www,therestartproject.org)
More about Transition at www.transtiontowntooting.org, on twitter @tttooting or email us at transitiontowntooting@gmail.com

Restart & Sewstart Party Sat July 6th

Help us break the myth that things can’t be fixed!  
Do you have broken electrical or electronic items that you don’t want to throw away? Or a favourite piece of clothing that needs mending or altering? Check out these happy fixers from our last session in May - who mended a pancake maker, a rucksack and a handheld vacuum cleaner! 

Maybe you’re already great at fixing and mending stuff – or you’d like to learn how? We have a great and growing groups of local fixers working together to solve problems and sort out fixes… 

Our head fixer, Mike Grahn, recently featured in the celebration of Volunteers Week– have a read of this lovely piece. 
 

Mike says: "We help fix, show how to fix and expel the myth that things can’t be fixed. Throwing away electronics as soon as they don’t work anymore is a mind-set that needs to be changed. And I can see from my involvement in Restart, that there are lots of community-minded people starting to change their opinions on how they view tech.”  

Or maybe you fancy a cup of tea, a piece of cake and a chance to find out more about Transition Tooting and what we get up to? Come along between 13.30 - 16.30 on 6th July 7th Sept 9th Nov Mushkil Aasaan, 220 - 222 Upper Tooting Road, SW17 7EW (next to Nando’s) 

(Restart Parties are a community self-repair space where you take responsibility for your own gadgets and data, so please don’t forget to take any back-ups beforehand, if relevant – and if possible arrive during the first two hours to allow time for fixing! More info about Restart including details of regular skillshares at www.therestartproject.org)

May 2019 Newsletter

This month's newsletter can be read HERE

Don't forget tomorrow's Restart/Sewstart Party at Mushkil Aasaan 1.30 till 4.30. All welcome.

Restart: Sat 18th May

Join this month's Restart / Sewstart fixing and mending workshop on Saturday 18th May from 1.30pm to 4.30pm. As usual our volunteer fixers will be doing their best to fix your broken electrical or electronic items and importantly keep them out of landfill. Meanwhile on the Sewstart table you might get some help mending or altering a favourite piece of clothing. If you are already great at fixing and mending stuff why not join our growing group of local fixers? 

It is of course perfectly fine just to come along to see what's happening, enjoy a cup of tea, a piece of cake or find out more about Transition Tooting. Venue: Mushkil Aasaan, 220 - 222 Upper Tooting Road, SW17 7EW (next to Nando’s)

Do remember that Restart Parties are a community self-repair space where you take responsibility for your own gadgets and data, so please don’t forget to take any back-ups beforehand, if relevant – and if possible arrive during the first two hours to allow time for fixing! 

More info about Restart including details of regular skillshares at www.therestartproject.org 

And further Tooting Restart dates for your diary this year are:
6th July, 7th Sept & 9th Nov

Restart Sewstart Reupholster Party!

The Fixed It List

This afternoon's Restart & Sewstart event saw a lot of smiling faces both on the Fixed It List and in the hall.  Thanks to everyone who helped out and attended!

While fixers battled to fix seemingly broken radios, lamps, toasters and phones, Shaz and her able helpers reupholstered a sofa that had been dumped in the street.  Check out the time lapse video of the work!

Phew, that's better!

At our events we aim to keep electrical or electronic items out of landfil by repairing them, and also mend and alter old clothing to give it a new lease of life. If you are just curious or would like to learn new skills come along to one of our Restart Parties

Our next Restart Party in Tooting is at Mushkil Aasaan on
8th December 13.30 - 16.30
and will include toy-mending as well - watch this space!

Restart Parties are a community self-repair space where you take responsibility for your own gadgets and data, so please don’t forget to take any back-ups beforehand, if relevant – and if possible arrive during the first two hours to allow time for fixing!   More info about Restart including details of regular skillshares at www.therestartproject.org

Don't forget more upcoming dates for you diary:
Local Stories of Sustainability Success is on Saturday October 20th and the start of a new series of Carbon Conversations on November 1st. 

Annual general meeting and celebrations

Here at Transition Town Tooting we love a chance to celebrate - and we don't mind a good birthday cake either!
Last month was our annual general meeting and party, the perfect opportunity to reflect on the past year, look forward to the future and celebrate the now.
We had feedback from some of our main events and projects of the last year and it was lovely to hear from some new faces.

The projects represented were: Foodival (Mal), Future Tooting (Eleanor), Restart/Sewstart (Jeni), Vegetanuary (Sharon), Tooting Twirl (Lucy & Richard), Carbon Conversations (Peter), Caras (Jeni & Egle), Outdoor Learning (Sharon), Tooting Community Garden (Christine) and Green Drinks (Richard).


This list shows the diversity of our community activities - some long standing partnerships, some one-off events - and of course covers just a snapshot of the many things TTT is involved with.

We then moved to the formal part of the evening - reports from the treasurer, secretary and co-chairs and the reelection of the officers. Your chief officers remain: Sharon Gray & Jeni Walker, co-chairs; Eleanor Glen, secretary; and David Thorne, treasurer. We look forward to hearing from you!




Time for a fun activity - we asked everyone present to write down some ideas for future TTT projects or wishes for Tooting on a 'cookie' and these will be stored in our TTT Cookie Jar to be enjoyed when we have a lull in our calendar - there was certainly plenty of food for thought.

A quiz followed, put together by David, which provoked much debate and brain-straining and then we rounded off the evening with a gorgeous chocolate cake to celebrate TTT's 10th birthday, some delicious snacks and many enjoyable conversations.
Huge thanks to everyone who came and contributed to a great evening. We look forward to seeing you at next year's party, or before then at any of our TT activities. Just email us on transitiontowntooting@gmail.com to find out how you can get involved.
Sharon

Restart-Sewstart Party Returns on May 13th

Join our fixing and mending workshop with May's Restart and Sewstart! Whether it’s electrical or electronic items that you don’t want to throw away or a sewing machine that is broken or you’re not sure how to use, we can help!

Have a favourite piece of clothing that needs mending or altering and you’d like to learn how? Or simply good at fixing and mending stuff?

Or maybe you fancy a cup of tea, a piece of cake and a chance to find out more about Transition Tooting and what we get up to?

Come along on Sun 13th May - 2.00 - 5.00pm Mushkil Aasaan, 220 - 222 Upper Tooting Road, SW17 7EW (next to Nando’s)

(Restart Parties are a community self-repair space where you take responsibility for your own gadgets and data, so please don’t forget to take any back-ups beforehand, if relevant – and if possible arrive during the first two hours to allow time for fixing!

More info about Restart          More about Transition Town Tooting,
email TTT here     TTT on twitter

Restart this Saturday on International Repair Day

This Saturday 21st October sees the first International Repair Day and happily we are hosting another Restart Party with the Restart Project from 2pm at Mushkil Aasaan, 222 Upper Tooting Rd, by Nandos.  All are welcome to this free event.  International Repair Day will be a chance to shout about the importance of repair and the growing global community repair movement; so far, there are 36 events in seven countries.  TTT is proud to be part of this celebration of repair and the important effort to think differently about electronics and waste. 

A Tooting Restart Party in 2015

Restart is a community repair event where skilled volunteers will try to keep your broken electronics out of landfill by repairing them.  The aim is to extend the life of electronic items from kettles to gadgets to laptops - we'll have a look at fixing anything!  At the last event the chef from Mirch Masala dropped in with an impressive looking metre long power tool, sadly not functioning. We found out what was wrong with it and hopefully many more masalas have since been mixed! 

We combine this in Tooting with Sewstart our community mending and sewing project, where Jeni will be on hand with her sewing machine and box of tricks to help you fix, improve or remodel your perhaps tired but much loved wardrobe favourites.  Come along and ask for advice, you might be surprised what you leave with!

Do remember to take back-ups of any electornic data on devices before handing them over to fixers as we cannot be responsible for loss of vital photos, files etc. 
And in the words of Restart Founders Janet & Ugo:
"Obey your conscience, disobey the throw-away economy. Repair!"

Restart and Sewstart in Tooting Saturday 21st Oct

• Have you got electrical or electronic items that you don’t want to throw away?
• Got a sewing machine that is broken or you’re not sure how to use?
• Have a favourite piece of clothing that needs mending or altering and you’d like to learn how?
• Simply good at fixing and mending stuff?

Fancy a cup of tea, a piece of cake and a chance to find out more about 

Transition Tooting and what we get up to?

Whatever the reason - come along on
Sat 21st October - 2.00 - 5.00pm
Mushkil Aasaan, 220 - 222 Upper Tooting Road, SW17 7EW
(next to Nando’s)

(Restart Parties are a community self-repair space where you take responsibility for your own gadgets and data, so please don’t forget to take any back-ups beforehand, if relevant – and if possible arrive during the first two hours to allow time for fixing!   More info about Restart including details of regular skillshares at www,therestartproject.org)