Primark becomes 'The Repair Shop' by holding free mending clothes workshops next week - their first in Northern Ireland

Fast fashion retailer Primark is holding their first free repair workshops in Northern Ireland as part of their commitment to become a more sustainable and circular business.

Under the Primark Cares strategy, the 90-minute repair workshops will be held in Belfast Bank Buildings store on Tuesday, April 25 (10am to 12noon and 12.30pm to 2pm).

Last year, the multinational fast fashion retailer ran a successful pilot of over 40 free repair workshops across the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands and Germany, educating over 530 customers and colleagues. 

Mending clothes has become a lost art but there is a growing interest in learning new repair skills among our customers. The masterclasses focus on basic hand-sewing techniques, from learning how to fix a zip to replacing buttons, making people think twice before throwing things away.

The Belfast Bank Buildings workshop will be hosted by Orla Kelly, an art textile graduate from the National College of Art and Design and will cover embellishment like patchwork, beading and hand embroidery, alongside basic sewing and mending skills. 

No experience is needed and bookings are now live on the Primark Billetto page for customers to secure a space.

Lynne Walker, director of Primark Cares, said: “We’re delighted to be rolling out our repair workshops across our store network in the UK and Ireland. Our goal is to strengthen the durability of our clothes and keep clothes in use for longer as part of our commitment to become a more circular business. Educating customers on repair is one small step forward in our journey.”

Orla Kelly, NCAD graduate and repair workshop host, added: “I’m excited to work with Primark on the rollout of repair workshops and can’t wait to share my love for upcycling, customising and getting creative with pre-loved clothing with customers in store.

"My hope is people leave the workshops with a new way of seeing their existing wardrobe and the skills to adjust, mend and add their own personality to their clothes. With a few simple stitches, there are endless creative possibilities to repair and re-wear your clothing.”

For those not lucky enough to secure a place on the Belfast workshop, Primark have created a series of easy-to-follow videos, covering everything from how to thread a needle and basic stitching to sewing on buttons and zips, available on our Primark Repair Hub.

Customers can also keep their eyes peeled on Primark social channels for future workshops in their area as the roll out continues over the coming months.