Jacob Jarvis
Technology enthusiasts are collaborating in Leicester thanks to extra funding for workshops and events.
Hackspace, based at Makers Yard on Rutland Street, offers those with a passion for technology, electronics and computer programming a space to work on a variety of projects.
Jenny Walklate, a director of Hackspace and a self-employed independent researcher, said: “We wanted to provide a space for techy types to come together and work on projects alongside each other.
“We were given our premises earlier this year thanks to European Development funding and we’ve now been allocated more funding from the council to help us host more workshops.
“There are a lot of people doing a real variety of things – the group is what members make it we just provide them with a space.”
Every Tuesday evening the group hold an ‘Open Hack Night’ where non-members can visit and see what the group’s 70 current members are doing and what they could get involved in.
The space is filled with a range of equipment that members have access to 24 hours a day including a 3D printer, power tools and a laser cutter.
Ms Walklate said: “We want to offer people the chance to develop skills alongside a social atmosphere. If you look around a session you’ll see of course people are working on a range of projects but they’re also talking to each other and helping each other as they do instead of being in a shed or a workshop working alone.”
Hackspace’s next workshop covers the basics of Arduino, a physical computing platform, on Saturday, October 8.
Richard Forrest, an electronics software engineer who attends Hackspace, said: “Being in the industry I’ve developed very specialist skills, but I spend all of my days just testing software.
“Coming to Hackspace lets me broaden my skills and test myself with different projects.”
To find out more about Hackspace visit leicesterhackspace.org.uk or follow @LeicesterHack on Twitter.
