Introduction

The Fixy initiative works alongside Somerset’s repair network, visiting events, schools and businesses to promote repair, support repair events with tools and a PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) safety service, encourage volunteers to get involved, and collect smart tech for reuse.

It is led by the Resource Futures consultancy, in partnership with Somerset Council and Donate-IT, a local community interest company that data-wipes and refurbishes laptops, tablets and phones, and distributes them to schools, community groups and families who need them.

The grant-funded project is continuing on a part-time basis while future funding options are explored. We will continue to promote repair and reuse of all kinds as much as possible.

Where’s Fixy?

• Saturday 23 September 2023, 10.30am to 3.30pm Fixy team is back for another Dulverton Antiques Valuation Day. Look out for Fixy van outside Dulverton Town Hall, Fore Street, Dulverton TA22 9EX.
• Saturday 30 September, 1-4pm Fixy team will be part of Burnham and Highbridge Town Council Eco Festival on at Apex Park. The main entrance is from Marine Drive, Burnham-on-Sea TA8 1NQ. Look out for the Fixy and the other festival stalls adjacent to the footpath. Come and find out about Burnham and Highbridge Repair Café and opportunities to get involved.

The Fixy team will be:

• Promoting volunteer-run repair groups and opportunities to get involved
• Accepting donations of unwanted smart tech for reuse, including laptops, tablets, mobile phones, digital cameras and other smart devices (see below for full list) – data will be securely wiped by Donate IT before items are passed back into the community.

Can’t get to a Fixy event? You can donate your smart tech at one of Donate IT’s collection points across Somerset and other parts of the South West.

Need something fixed? Find local community repair groups across Somerset on our web page Somerset’s Repair Network.

What smart tech items can I bring to a Fixy event?

You can donate the following through all Fixy events, including our smaller Fixy stalls without the van:

• Laptops*
• Tablets*
• Mobile Phones /Smart Phones
• Smart Watches
• Digital cameras
• Game Consoles and accessories*
• Hard Drives / External Disk Drives
• Routers*

* including power supply cable / AC adaptor /charger etc wherever possible.
Items must be unlocked – and unlinked if using an iCloud account to enable reuse.

Other smart tech to donate? The following items can be donated when the Fixy van visits a business or a community event, or at one of the other drop-off points shown on Donate IT:

• Laptops*
• Tablets*
• PCs, Desktops, Towers*
• Mobile/Smart Phones
• Servers*
• Hard Drives
• Game Consoles and accessories*
• NAS Drives
• PC Combo / All-in-one type computer*
• Digital cameras
• Scientific calculators
• PDAs
• Routers*
• Server Rack/Cabinets
• Switches
• Thin Clients
• UPS Unit
• Wireless Access Points
• Docking Stations / Port Replicators
• DVR/NVR/PVR e.g. Freeview recorder or CCTV Device
• External Disk Drives
• Smart wear/Smart devices
• Smart speakers
• Smart Watches*

Including, where relevant, the power supply cable, AC adaptor, mains power and ancillary accessories to allow re-use.
Items must be unlocked – and unlinked if using an iCloud account to enable reuse.

Webinar sharing the Fixy experience

Fixy’s aim is to take repair from niche to norm. There was a fantastic turnout at the Fixy project webinar “Making repair an everyday decision”. The recording of the discussion is now available.

Watch the webinar to find out results and learnings from the successful mobile electrical repair scheme, as well as learn about finding routes to engaging new audiences:

 

You can also download the Fixy Impact Report.