CHEPSTOW Library has won a share of £70,000 in funding.

Funds have been awarded to the library from the Carnegie UK Trust to help future-proof the library's services.

Chepstow Library was one of seven selected from across the UK and Ireland to benefit from the funds which form part of the Carnegie UK Trust's 'Library Lab' project.

Claire Lewis from Chepstow Library has beaten off tough competition to win funding from the trust.

The library has been awarded funding for its new project, The Ideas Garage, which will create a community led coding space for young people aged 11 to 17 to help them gain and share skills and experience of coding to create and develop websites.

It is hoped the group will help improve employability.

The three year funding programme aims to create partnerships to support innovative library practice to help demonstrate that book lending is only one of many services that libraries can deliver.

Some of the other projects to benefit from the funding include an early intervention project to help boost pre-school literacy rates, an afterhours writers support group and a library bike which will go out into the community.

Claire Lewis, from Chepstow Library, said: "The Ideas Garage will be a space to allow young people to learn more about coding and build their own websites. Our aim is for it to evolve into a maker/hacker space where we can introduce 3D printing and have a digital fabrication lab.

"The aim of the project is to increase social inclusion within the local community. We intend to collaborate with Coderdojo, a company which offers free coding clubs for young people, to target those aged 11 to 17.

"Overall the group will also provide an opportunity for local young people to potentially gain a new hobby and skills, make friends and maybe even consider a career in technology. We can't wait to get started!"

Applications for Carnegie Library Lab were invited throughout September. The Trust received 80 applications from libraries looking for support for their innovative projects.

Douglas White, head of advocacy, Carnegie UK Trust said: "The Carnegie name is synonymous with support for public libraries and Carnegie Library Lab has been launched to continue this long history.

"Whilst libraries continue to act as busy learning hubs for the community, it is important that they also continue to move with the times. What our winning library projects demonstrate is that libraries across the UK and Republic of Ireland are going above and beyond to ensure that the public remained engaged by providing innovative solutions that are going to capture people's imagination.

"We wish all of the libraries the very best of luck in getting their projects underway and look forward to working with them."