Fablab is a digital makerspace based inside Exeter Library.
It opened in 2014 and was the first FabLab in any UK public library! FabLab enables people to try out digital making techniques using the latest technology. FabLab Devon offers workshops for adults and children, a Membership for adults plus an outreach programme.
FabLab Devon needs your support now more than ever.
Since 2014, FabLab Devon has opened its doors to thousands of people: children taking their very first steps into creativity, adults discovering new skills, students from Exeter College and the University of Exeter pushing the boundaries of digital design.
We’ve welcomed makers aged from pre-school right through to retirement, each one discovering the joy of turning imagination into reality.
But today, we are at a critical moment.
Our much-loved equipment is ageing, and with significant funding pressures facing Devon County Council and local library services, we are struggling to keep pace with the technology our community deserves.
We urgently need your help.
We are seeking to raise £1,500 to update our 3D printers—vital tools at the heart of everything we do.
We also desperately need to replace our ageing desktops and laptops, which are still stuck on Windows 10.
And to continue inspiring the next generation, we dream of expanding into new technologies—such as a vinyl printing system (approx. £4,500) and other state-of-the-art creative tools. These would allow us to bring FabLab Devon firmly into the next decade… but right now, they are out of reach.
Your donation could:
– be the reason a young person discovers their passion.
– help an adult learn a life-changing new skill leading to employment.
– keep digital creativity alive in and across Devon
Every contribution—large or small—makes a genuine difference.
As a non-profit organisation, we work hard to keep our membership prices and workshop fees as low as possible so that everyone can access digital creativity. But this means replacing equipment is incredibly challenging, especially during a cost-of-living crisis where every penny matters.
Could you sponsor a piece of equipment on our wishlist?
If you or your company might be able to sponsor a machine, a computer suite, or contribute toward vital new technology, we would love to speak with you.
We can offer:
• Your name or company branding on the equipment
• Promotion on our social media channels (1k+ followers each)
• Mentions in our newsletter (approx. 1k subscribers)
• A bespoke Away Day at the FabLab to explore what your sponsored equipment enables our community to create
Please email us at [email protected] to start the conversation.
Could you fundraise for us?
If you’re someone who loves a challenge—or you work with a team who does—why not take on an event and raise money for FabLab Devon this January?
As part of Libraries Unlimited, we are a registered charity, and every fundraising effort directly supports our mission to teach, inspire, and empower people across Devon.
If this sparks an idea, please reach out to us at [email protected]. We would be thrilled to support your event and will make a fuss about it!
Do you know someone else or a company that may be able to help?
Please do forward this email – or share our social media posts that are coming out from today with anyone you know or any companies that might be able to help. Any help – however large or small is genuinely appreciated.
Thank you, deeply and sincerely, for considering supporting FabLab Devon.
Together, we can continue to spark creativity, support innovation, and open doors for the next generation of makers across our community.
From the whole Team at FabLab Devon.
