Gateshead Central Library has introduced a limited fleet of laptops that residents in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, can book with licensed professional design software. The service, available at the MakerPlace creative hub in January 2026, aims to help hobbyists and school groups prepare digital files for specialist machinery such as the Epilog Helix laser cutter and the Janome sewing & embroidery machine.
The laptops are pre-loaded with paid programmes including CorelDraw (used to prepare files for laser cutting of materials such as wood and acrylic) and Hatch Embroidery (for textile embroidery design). Previously, MakerPlace users were often expected to bring ready-made designs from home; professional embroidery suites alone can cost in excess of £800, a barrier this service is intended to remove for community users.
MakerPlace’s addition of bookable, high-spec laptops is part of Gateshead Council’s wider digital inclusion work — including a £4.5m programme of IT investment — and the council’s Corporate Plan priorities to improve access to technology. The laptops let people design, edit and manufacture projects in one place, which helps those without high-performance computers at home.
Residents can reserve a laptop alongside equipment sessions via the library’s booking system (MakerPlace Members Equipment Bookings on Eventbrite). Note: MakerPlace materials guidance and Eventbrite information state that equipment use is free for personal and community projects; commercial or business prototyping uses should be discussed with staff in advance and may be subject to different terms.
This project runs alongside local initiatives such as the Digital Poverty Alliance’s Tech4Communities rollout in Gateshead, which refurbishes and redistributes donated devices to households that lack access to a working device.
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