Barnet Climate Action Week to Launch With Fixathon and Community Events

Key Points

• Barnet Climate Action Week is due to begin on October 10 with a programme focused on climate action, repair, reuse, nature and community participation.
• The opening Fixathon at Cultivate Colindale will run from 11am to 3pm, offering free help with repairing small electrical items, textiles and bicycles.
• Barnet is joining Brent, Camden, Hackney and Islington in an attempt to establish a London-wide record for the number of household items repaired in one week.
• The repair challenge forms part of Circular Economy Week and International Repair Day.
• The Fixathon will include a second-hand bicycle market, with proceeds supporting Cycle Sisters, a charity working with Muslim and ethnically diverse women to encourage cycling.
• Barnet Council said its Fixathon programme builds on eight Repair Cafés held across the borough during the previous year.
• The wider week will include a community celebration, a Tiny Forest event, a school device donation drive, a film screening and several nature and community activities.
• Residents can find the full programme and register for events through Barnet Council’s website.

Extra London News (ELN) October 7, 2026 – Barnet Climate Action Week is set to begin on October 10 with a Fixathon and a programme of community activities aimed at encouraging residents to repair, reuse and reduce waste. The opening event at Cultivate Colindale will offer free repair assistance for small electrical goods, textiles and bicycles. Barnet is also taking part in a wider London collaboration involving Brent, Camden, Hackney and Islington, with the participating boroughs seeking to set a new record for the number of household items repaired during a single week.

The development is centred on practical climate action rather than a single event, with repair, reuse, biodiversity and community participation forming the main elements of Barnet’s programme. The Fixathon will provide residents with an opportunity to have damaged household goods assessed and repaired by volunteers, while other events throughout the week will focus on nature, education, community activity and the reuse of resources.

What will happen at the opening Barnet Climate Action Week Fixathon?

The first major event will take place at Cultivate Colindale from 11am to 3pm, where residents will be invited to bring broken household items for repair.

According to the information provided for the Barnet Climate Action Week programme, volunteers will assist with small electrical items, textiles and bicycles. The event is intended to demonstrate how repairing possessions can extend their useful life and reduce the amount of material sent for disposal.

The Fixathon is also connected to a wider attempt involving several London boroughs to establish a repair record. Barnet will work with Brent, Camden, Hackney and Islington as part of the initiative.

The record attempt is being organised in connection with Circular Economy Week and International Repair Day. Rather than treating broken household goods as immediately disposable, the activity places emphasis on repairing and continuing to use existing products.

Cllr Alan Schneiderman, Cabinet Member for Environment & Climate Change, said the week would provide an opportunity to highlight climate-related activity already taking place in Barnet and encourage wider participation.

“The Fixathon shows how simple actions can make a real difference,” Cllr Schneiderman said, adding that repairing items could help residents save money, reduce waste and make better use of possessions they already own.

His comments place the repair event within both an environmental and practical context, with the council highlighting household savings and waste reduction alongside broader climate objectives.

Why are Barnet and other London boroughs attempting a repair record?

The repair record is designed as a collaborative initiative involving several London boroughs.

Barnet’s participation alongside Brent, Camden, Hackney and Islington means the activity extends beyond an individual local authority programme. The participating areas will contribute to an attempt to record the number of household items repaired during the designated period.

The initiative forms part of Circular Economy Week and International Repair Day. A circular economy approach generally focuses on keeping products and materials in use for longer through activities such as repair, reuse and recycling.

In the Barnet programme, repair is being presented as one practical way for residents to make use of items they already own rather than replacing them when they become damaged.

The Fixathon therefore has two connected purposes. It provides direct assistance to residents with broken items while also contributing to a wider London activity intended to demonstrate the scale of repair and reuse within participating communities.

The collaboration also means that Barnet’s event forms part of a broader programme rather than operating independently.

What did Cllr Alan Schneiderman say about the climate action programme?

Cllr Alan Schneiderman, Barnet’s Cabinet Member for Environment & Climate Change, said residents would have several opportunities to participate during the week.

He described Barnet Climate Action Week as an opportunity to celebrate positive action already taking place across the borough while encouraging more residents to become involved.

In relation to the wider programme, Cllr Schneiderman said there were “lots of ways for residents to take part”, including repairing and reusing items as well as participating in local nature and biodiversity projects.

He encouraged residents to find activities taking place in their areas and participate where possible.

The comments indicate that the council’s programme is not limited to waste reduction. Its schedule also includes activities involving green spaces, biodiversity, schools, community organisations and local cultural venues.

What other events are planned during Barnet Climate Action Week?

The programme extends beyond the opening Fixathon and includes several activities across Barnet.

A community celebration is scheduled to take place at St John’s URC. The programme also includes a Tiny Forest community day, which will focus on a nature-based activity within the borough.

Another initiative will involve a borough-wide school device donation drive. The activity is intended to encourage the continued use of electronic devices through donation rather than allowing usable equipment to become redundant.

Residents will also be able to attend a screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing at The Phoenix Cinema.

The programme further includes the Dollis Valley Community Harvest Day. Nature-themed activities are planned at Burnt Oak Brook and Stephens House & Gardens.

Taken together, the programme covers several areas of local climate and environmental activity, including repair, reuse, nature, food, community participation, schools and public awareness.

The variety of events means residents can engage with the week through activities beyond the repair programme.

How will the second-hand bicycle market support Cycle Sisters?

The opening Fixathon will also feature a second-hand bicycle market.

Proceeds from the market will go to Cycle Sisters, a charity supporting Muslim and ethnically diverse women to cycle.

The inclusion of the bicycle market links the reuse theme of the Fixathon with a community organisation supporting cycling. Instead of focusing solely on repairing existing possessions, the market provides another route through which bicycles can be kept in use.

The organisers have therefore incorporated a charitable element into the opening event, with funds raised from the sale of second-hand bicycles directed towards Cycle Sisters.

The event also gives residents an opportunity to engage with cycling as part of the wider programme of community and environmental activities.

How does the Fixathon build on Barnet’s existing repair programme?

The Fixathon is not being presented as a completely new activity for Barnet.

The programme builds on the council’s existing repair and reuse work, which has included eight Repair Cafés across the borough during the previous year.

Those Repair Cafés established an existing local programme around extending the useful life of household goods. The new Fixathon continues that approach while placing it within a larger climate action week and a London-wide repair initiative.

The previous Repair Cafés also provide a local basis for encouraging residents to consider repair as an alternative to disposal.

The council’s current programme combines that established repair activity with additional events intended to involve different parts of the community.

What does the wider programme mean for Barnet residents?

For residents, the programme offers several different ways to participate in local environmental activity.

People with broken small electrical items, textiles or bicycles can attend the Fixathon at Cultivate Colindale and seek assistance from volunteers. Others may choose to participate in nature-related activities, the community harvest event, the Tiny Forest day or the school device donation drive.

The programme also provides activities for residents who may be interested in environmental issues but do not necessarily need a repair service.

The council has directed residents towards its full programme for information about individual activities and registration arrangements.

Participation will therefore depend on the specific event, with residents expected to check the programme and register where required.

Why is repair and reuse being highlighted during the week?

Repair and reuse are central themes because they provide practical ways of extending the life of household products.

A broken item does not necessarily need to be replaced if it can be repaired. Similarly, a product that is no longer required by one household can potentially remain in use if it is donated or sold to another person.

The Barnet programme uses these principles through its Fixathon, second-hand bicycle market and school device donation drive.

The activities also connect household behaviour with broader environmental objectives. Rather than concentrating only on large-scale environmental policy, the programme provides residents with specific activities through which they can participate.

Cllr Schneiderman’s comments similarly emphasise practical benefits, including saving money and reducing waste.

What role will nature and biodiversity activities play?

Nature and biodiversity form another significant part of Barnet Climate Action Week.

The programme includes activities at Burnt Oak Brook and Stephens House & Gardens, alongside the Tiny Forest community day.

The council has specifically identified local nature and biodiversity projects as another way residents can participate in Climate Action Week.

This broadens the programme beyond household consumption and waste. Residents can take part in activities connected with local environments while also engaging with community events.

The inclusion of the Dollis Valley Community Harvest Day adds another community-based activity to the schedule.

How can residents take part in Barnet Climate Action Week?

Residents can view the complete Climate Action Week programme through Barnet Council and register for events where registration is required.

The opening Fixathon is scheduled for October 10 at Cultivate Colindale and will run from 11am to 3pm.

Residents planning to attend should check the council’s programme for the latest event details and registration requirements before travelling.

The wider schedule includes activities at different locations across Barnet, meaning residents can select events according to their interests and availability.

What is the background to Barnet’s climate action programme?

Barnet Climate Action Week brings together several strands of environmental and community activity under one programme.

The repair element has a specific local history, with the council reporting that eight Repair Cafés have already been held across the borough during the previous year.

The new Fixathon extends that repair and reuse work while connecting Barnet with other London boroughs through an attempt to establish a new repair record.

The involvement of Brent, Camden, Hackney and Islington gives the repair initiative a wider London dimension. Its connection with Circular Economy Week and International Repair Day also places the local programme within broader campaigns promoting repair and continued use of products.

Alongside repair, Barnet’s programme includes biodiversity activities, community events, school-related activity, a film screening, a harvest day and the second-hand bicycle market supporting Cycle Sisters.

The programme therefore combines environmental activity with community participation rather than relying on a single form of climate action.

What could Barnet Climate Action Week mean for local residents?

The immediate effect for Barnet residents is likely to be increased access to local activities involving repair, reuse, nature and community participation during the week.

For households attending the Fixathon, the opportunity to seek help repairing small electrical goods, textiles and bicycles could provide a practical alternative to replacing damaged items. The second-hand bicycle market may similarly support reuse while raising funds for Cycle Sisters.

The wider programme gives residents additional opportunities to participate in environmental activities, including the Tiny Forest community day, nature events and the community harvest.

The longer-term significance will depend on participation and whether residents continue repair, reuse and other environmental practices after the week concludes. The existing Repair Cafés provide an established programme on which the new activity can build.