Repair it. Restyle it. ReWear it.
Community workshops in Carlisle and Penrith where people come together to mend, remake and rethink clothing.
Growing alongside
Repair & ReWear
Penrith Community Space
What happens at a session?
Tea on the table. Sewing machines humming. Someone learning to sew a button for the first time while someone else is turning old jeans into a bag. People sharing patterns, ideas and tips across the table. That's what Repair & ReWear looks like.
Open sessions. Real skills. No pressure.
Repair & ReWear runs regular open sessions from Restore's spaces in Carlisle and Penrith, where people come together to mend, make, restyle and upcycle clothing. It doesn't matter whether you've never threaded a needle or you've been sewing for years. Everyone's welcome.
The sessions are community-led and relaxed. There's no set programme or instructor standing at the front. People come along, pick up a project, and help each other out. You might find yourself patching a jacket, reshaping a dress, learning to use an overlocker, or just figuring out where to start.
Drop-in mending & repairs
Bring something that needs fixing and get it sorted with help from fellow makers.
Upcycling & restyling
Turn something old into something new. Reshape, reimagine, and give tired garments a second life with a bit of creativity.
Dressmaking & pattern cutting
Learn to make clothes from scratch, from understanding patterns to cutting fabric and putting it all together.
Seasonal & school projects
Special sessions tied to school partnerships and community events, giving people of all ages a chance to get creative together.
There's plenty of equipment available too, including Singer overlockers, high-end Brother sewing machines, rotary cutters, scissors and everything else you'd need. You can turn up empty-handed and get stuck in straight away.
Repair it. Restyle it. ReWear it.
Learn new skills, meet new people, and make old clothes new again.
From one event to a permanent space
100%
Sold out workshops
7
Schools involved
100%
More likely to repair
ReWear Revolution was a one-day event that showed just how much appetite already exists across Cumbria for this kind of thing. Every workshop sold out, seven schools took part, and people left with repaired clothing, new skills and the confidence to try it again at home.
The feedback was striking. Visitors told us the experience changed how they thought about clothing, and every person surveyed said they were now more likely to repair their clothes or buy second-hand.
Repair & ReWear takes that energy and turns it into something permanent: a regular community space where people build practical skills, share what they know, and start thinking differently about the clothes in their lives.
A different relationship with clothing
60k
Tonnes to UK landfill yearly
76%
Cumbria's textile waste exported
6
Generations of clothes already exist
Clothing has become something we wear briefly and throw away. Around 60,000 tonnes of it reaches landfill in the UK every year, and much of what gets collected locally is exported overseas. Roughly 76 percent of Cumbria's textile waste ends up in the Global South. Meanwhile, there are already enough clothes in the world to dress six generations.
Repair & ReWear exists because a different relationship with clothing is possible. Not one built on guilt or rules, but on skill, creativity and community. When people learn to repair and value what they have, clothing lasts longer and waste falls. It really is that straightforward.
Skills, community & culture
Skills
Practical repair and making that helps clothes last longer. Mending, patching, upcycling, restyling and dressmaking, all learned together around the table.
Community
A growing network of makers, menders and people who care about sustainable fashion. Shared spaces where people learn from each other, swap ideas and reconnect through creativity.
Culture
A slow shift in how people see clothing. Repaired and second-hand garments becoming creative, expressive and desirable. Not a compromise.
Building a repair culture across Cumbria
Repair & ReWear is helping build a repair culture across Cumbria, with partnerships growing alongside organisations like Cumbria Clothing Collective and PACT, and school engagement expanding. More people are discovering that repairing clothing can be social, creative and genuinely enjoyable.
The ambition is a simple one: Cumbria becomes a recognised example of community-led clothing repair in action.
Key partners
Where to find Repair & ReWear
Sessions run from Restore's shops across Cumbria. Drop in, no booking needed. New sessions will be added as more shops launch their groups.
Restore Penrith
Brewery Lane
- Fridays 1pm – 4pm
11 Brewery Lane, Penrith New Squares, Penrith, CA11 7BU
Restore Petteril Bank
Carlisle
- Wednesdays 10am – 12pm
- Fridays 10am – 12pm
2-4 Petteril Bank Road, Carlisle, CA1 3AH
Restore Carlisle
Castle Street
- Tuesdays 10am – 12pm
- Wednesdays 11am – 1pm
- Sundays 1pm – 3pm
37 Castle Street, Carlisle, CA3 8SY
Cumbria Clothing Repair Directory
- 1
Choose your repair
Pick the type of fix you need, from a quick hem to a full alteration.
- 2
Enter your postcode
The directory matches you with the best local business for the job.
- 3
Get in touch
Contact them directly by email and get your clothes repaired.