A COMMUNITY library is embarking on an exciting hi-tech venture for young people - by building its own 3D printer and teaching them how to print solid objects.

The Globe community library in Stokesley recently received a European grant for its cutting-edge digital project, which will equip children and young people with the latest digital skills for the future.

The new 3D Printing Club will be open to ten to 24-year-olds and will start by creating The Globe’s own 3D printer from kit parts over three or four weeks.

Once it has been assembled, the participants will be able to print solid objects which the young participants will design themselves.

The innovative course was made possible thanks to The Globe’s success in winning a grant of 500 Euros from a European-wide initiative, Meet and Code Europe.

The Globe was judged in the Most Innovative category of the 2018 award and the cash it has received will fund a large part of the cost of the parts required to build the printer.

The course will be run by Mark Jenkins, an informatics graduate from the University of Edinburgh whose thesis involved building his own 3D printer and making sold objects, including the head of a dinosaur skeleton with a working jaw. He will be running the course in a voluntary capacity.

The printing involves creating three-dimensional objects of almost any shape or geometry using electronic data. This is done most commonly done layer by layer using inkjet printerheads.

A spokesperson for The Globe said: “The course will have its serious side, but it will also show young people how much fun 3D printing can be and how it can bring their ideas to life.”

The Globe community library was one of 21 in North Yorkshire which the county council last year handed over to the community to run, after the council found it could no longer afford to operate all its libraries.

Following a consultation with residents, Stokesley Parish Council increased its annual precept to pay for a professional library manager to run the resource, which is staffed by local volunteers.

Peter Chandler, a Trustee of The Globe, who was behind the bid that kick-started the forward-looking venture, said: “We were delighted to hear that our bid had been successful as we will be able to give children and young people skills that will be of enormous help to them in this digital age.”

People can vote for the library to receive additional funding from the Tech Trust by

Meanwhile The Globe supporters can vote for the library to receive additional funding from the Tech Trust by visiting the website http://meet-and-code.org/gb/en/ and selecting the project.