There was a buzz of busy concentration and excitement as I entered the library. It was Sunday afternoon and a group of primary school children were experiencing the joy of building something… and seeing it work.

They were the young engineers enjoying their taster session before joining up for six Sundays of learning how to follow instructions, problem solve, create working models from their own ideas and be resilient when they find things challenging.

The sessions are run by Chris Baker, a teacher at Cossington Primary School. He saw how his younger child was interested in construction and how things work but couldn’t find anything to help him explore and develop his interest, so he linked with Young Engineers, a global company, to set up the only workshops in the East Midlands. Each week the children will be able to build different working models from clear, picture instructions and a set of Lego®-like building materials.

I saw a big smile light up on 10-year-old Evie’s face as she switched on the motor of her machine and saw her creation successfully whir round in a circle. “It’s really exciting!” she told me. This was echoed by Albie, aged 7; Ellie, aged 8; Ozzy, aged 8; and all the other children enjoying the afternoon. Six-year-old Toby Macker was there with his dad who was also thoroughly enjoying the afternoon! “The best bit,” Toby said, “was building with Lego® and the motors that really work!”

If you’re interested in finding out more, contact Chris Baker at cbaker@young-engineers.co.uk or call him on 07888 692 934. He’ll be running more sessions in the autumn; but the workshops are extremely popular. Places on future events will be limited, so book early.

Karisa Krcmar