Social enterprise Kundakala has launched a series of clothes repair workshops across London after research found many adults lack basic sewing skills, such as attaching a button. The initiative aims to help people mend garments instead of spending money on replacements.
Workshops cover three common fixes
Kundakala, which operates centres in Islington, Hackney, Camden, Barnet, and Lambeth, will run repairs workshops covering the three most frequently needed fixes: sewing on a button, darning a hole, and patching a tear. Each 75-minute, hands-on session teaches up to ten employees how to handle these basic garment repairs.
The workshops are led by members of the Kundakala Collective, who are graduates of Kundakala's training programmes and have built their own sewing micro-businesses. Employers can host the sessions in their offices or shared workspaces for £550 per group.
Research reveals skills gap and financial impact
Kundakala's research among 1,000 adults found that many have spent money replacing clothes they believed they could have repaired. Among workers who throw away damaged clothing, many admit they lack the skills to fix them, with some saying they would be embarrassed that they cannot sew on a button, according to the report.
The organisation stated that 73% of British workers spent money replacing clothes in the last year that they believe could have been repaired, amounting to an average outlay of £109 per person and an estimated £2.6 billion nationwide. Additionally, the UK faces a growing textile waste issue, with each person discarding an average of 35 unwanted items of clothing into general waste every year.
Workplace workshops aim to address the issue
Kundakala said it believes most people would take part in a free workplace repairs workshop if their employer offered one, as the cost of living continues to squeeze household budgets.
Poornima Kirloskar-Saini, founder and chief executive of Kundakala, said: “People are feeling both the financial cost and the environmental guilt of throwing away clothes they could have fixed. Yet, the skills and the opportunity to learn appear to be lacking. The workplace is one of the most logical places to address that, and yet it remains almost entirely untapped.”
Kundakala added that for most people, discarding damaged items comes down to a lack of basic repair skills, despite harbouring feelings of guilt about throwing them away. Employers are uniquely positioned to bridge this gap by offering practical, money-saving perks that support sustainable everyday habits.
