Bright Sparks

Bright Sparks is Islington’s Repair and Reuse Shop that brings small electrical items back to life

The shop is run by the social enterprise DigiBridge and sells and repairs small electrical items.

There are a number of places around the borough where residents can donate and leave small electrical items to help support the project. For a full list of collection points please click on the 'collection points' link to the left..

Bright Sparks provides Islington residents with easy ways to reuse, repair or recycle their old electrical items rather than putting them in the rubbish bin which causes carbon pollution and damages the environment.

It also provides a service for affordable repairs and replacement to help limited budgets go much further on other essentials.

The repairs are carried out at a workshop that has created training and volunteering opportunities for the unemployed, helping the local economy. Read a volunteers story and the bottom of this page.

Bright Sparks is at

225 -229 Seven Sisters Road, London N4 2DA
Telephone: 020 7561 5515
Email: shop@brightsparksonline.com
Opening hours: Tuesday - Saturday 12:30 - 17:30 pm
                           Thursday 12:30 - 19:00

Bright Sparks Islington: workshop policy on repairs and reuse

If you want something mended bring it to Bright Sparks. Our engineers will check it and give you an answer of whether your item is repairable or not within 3 days. A full repair will take a little longer.

Items accepted by the repairs service

Kitchen electricals

•  kettles
•  sandwich makers
•  coffee makers
•  juicers
•  food mixers
•  steamers
•  electric fans
•  bread machine

Household electricals

•  electric sewing machines
•  fan heaters
•  electric radiators
•  hair dryers
•  vacuum cleaners
•  trouser presses
•  clocks
•  irons
•  lamps / lights

 

Sound, vision and computing

•  TVs
•  computers
•  computer monitors
•  laptops
•  PC printers
•  mobile phone
•  telecommunications equipment
•  hi-fi, integrated and separate amplifier, CD player, radio, speakers.
•  DVD, games consoles, digiboxes
•  Electrical musical instruments

Items not part of the repair service

(but we do collect these for reuse and recycling)
The following list of appliances are not included as part of the repair service, but do not let that put you off donating it to bright sparks. We will make sure the components are recycled rather than go in the waste bin.

Kitchen electricals

•  Microwave
•  toaster
•  cooker

Household electricals

•  fires
•  foot massager
•  hair curlers
•  hair straighteners

Sound, vision and computing

•  video camera
•  scanners
•  shredder
•  flat screen display
•  PC accessories (keyboard, mouse)
•  word processor/ electric typewriters
•  cassette decks
•  video recorders

Garden/ DIY

•  garden tools, electrical (small) i.e. strimmer, hedge cutter, garden vac
•  plug-in power tools i.e. drill, electric screwdriver

Appliances that Bright Sparks does not collect or accept:

•   electric hob
•  freezers
•  fridges
•  fridge-freezers
•  photocopier
•  sun beds
•  electric armchairs
•  electric beds
•  electric wheelchairs
•  garden tools, electrical (large) i.e. lawnmower, shredder

A Volunteer's Story

HN is 35, and graduated with 1st class Honours as an Electronics Engineer from Kings College in 2009 but found that there were very few graduate positions in this field in London. He has always had a love of electronics and felt that if he could not get a job doing what he loved he would try and contribute his time doing volunteer work, preferably in the field of electronic engineering. He was referred to Bright Sparks by Forest Recycling Project, who he contacted originally. In his experience, Bright Sparks is unique in offering volunteering places and training in this area of work. 

He started volunteering in January of 2011 and has spent the majority of his time building and repairing computers, something he sees as very valuable hands-on experience which he can you when applying for jobs. It has also given him more confidence in what he is doing as there is a wide range of electronic items that need to be repaired. He is currently still volunteering at the project and will continue to do so until he finds paid work as it is an enjoyable experience.