The results are in from the Council’s Team Repair workshops – and they’re inspiring!
A project to get Somerset’s young people learning repair skills, funded by Somerset Council and SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK through the SW:EEP community fund, has shown that 40% of the young people said they were more likely to repair something in the future and teachers rated the programme 10 out of 10.
For many of the participants this was their first time repairing something.
Team Repair have highlighted the success of repair workshops delivered in Somerset schools and youth groups earlier this year. Tackling a throwaway mindset head-on by teaching practical and problem-solving skills, feedback from the young people showed how much they enjoyed learning these green skills in a hands-on workshop:
A team member said:
I loved how after we’ve done it we could use it and have fun.
Cllr Richard Wilkins, Executive Member for Transport and Waste Services, said:
It’s brilliant to see how Team Repair is helping young people across Somerset build confidence and skills that will last a lifetime.
By learning how to fix everyday real life gadgets, they’re not only developing their technical knowledge but also discovering the value in reuse and repair.
We’re proud to support a programme that’s inspiring the next generation of problem-solvers and green thinkers.
These workshops are a powerful way to reduce electronic waste and spark interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and sustainability from an early age.
The 12-week Team Repair programme reached over 150 children across 5 schools and 1 youth group in Somerset. Students aged 10–14 learned to repair everyday gadgets including microscopes, game consoles, torches, and remote-control cars. The initiative aims to reduce electronic waste and spark interest in STEM careers.
- 300 gadgets repaired
- 5 schools and 1 youth group participated, including a group working with SEN students
- 6 teachers and educators trained to deliver the programme
- 40% of students reported being more likely to repair in the future
- 37% showed increased interest in science or tech careers
- 35% expressed greater interest in environmentally friendly jobs
- 38% of students experienced their first-ever repair activity
Matthew Canning, Contract Director of Somerset at SUEZ, said:
This has been a great project to support. The results of the work that the schools have done with Team Repair is a brilliant and we hope that it is helping children understand our vision of living in a world where there is no more waste.
Green skills are essential for the future of the circular economy and helping children learn repair skills is a really important part of this.
Team Repair do such an incredible job of making this accessible for the younger generation and we were keen to support this.
Educators praised the support from Team Repair and the programme’s impact on students.
One teacher shared:
The sessions were absolutely incredible! The children learned so much and felt like they were learning real life skills. This should be rolled out to all schools!
The programme’s success was echoed in feedback from all participating teachers, who unanimously expressed interest in running the programme again and rated it 10 out of 10 for recommending to other schools.
The Team Repair sessions were funded from Somerset Council and SUEZ’s joint SW:EEP fund. This uses ring-fenced income from the sale of recyclable materials to support projects that reduce waste and benefit the community.
Electronic waste is one of the largest contributors to climate change. Every year 103,000 tonnes of e-waste is thrown away in the UK – the equivalent to 8.5 million microwaves.
