A WEST Devon primary school is set to help print 3D prosthetic limbs for people in need — the very first school in the country to do so.

Tavistock Community Primary School has received the donation of a 3D printer from Tavistock mum Julie Jillians, whose daughter Abbi, a Tavistock Primary pupil, has recently had a 3D prosthetic hand printed.

Julie was so grateful for the community support she received when appealing for someone locally to print Abbi a hand, she wanted to give something back to the community and so set about fundraising to buy a 3D printer, which she has now donated to the primary school.

The school will register with the charity Enable — a global, online community of humanitarian volunteers designing and building inexpensive and functional 3D prosthetics — which matches people to registered printers and sends out a pattern to print.

'I'm thrilled the school wanted to take the printer,' said Julie.

'It's exactly what I wanted. It is wonderful that the children and parents who helped raise the money will be able to use the equipment to make limbs for other children.

'The school will sign up to Enable, then it is classed as a volunteer and Enable will send the measurement details for someone from anywhere in the world. As an educational tool I think it is fantastic.

'Mrs Selbie is my hero now for doing this.

'Somebody, somewhere needed to take the initiative and there is no other school in the UK that has done this.

'It's exactly where I wanted the printer to be.'

Tavistock Community Primary School head teacher Lynnette Selbie was pleased to be involved.

She said: 'Our intention is for us, through Enable, to sign up to the match-making register so they can contact us to hopefully produce a limb for a child in the South West — or anywhere.

'It is very, very low cost for such a wonderful outcome. Technology is moving on very quickly. We may only be doing this for a few years until technology moves on again but for now it is wonderful. Seeing Abbi enjoy her new hand has been great.

'For the children at this school, educationally, this is about caring for others and promoting community values and that is the type of child we want to produce.'

The 3D printed hands cost around £55 to produce, as opposed to the thousands of pounds it costs for a traditional prosthetic.

Melina Brown, director of operations for the Enable Community Foundation, said: 'This will be the first primary school in the UK to sign up.

'Julie is a true inspiration. Her hard work is going to make it possible for this school to teach its students a valuable life lesson through 3D printing.

'We have a waiting list in the UK right now, which means there are children needing help who are seeing other children receive devices and wondering why they must wait.

'Unfortunately, we just don't have enough active members in the UK to keep up with demand.

'In the US, we currently have 55 schools registered with us. These schools are a vital part of what we do.

'The beauty is that the school children learn that through technology, you can honestly impact someone's life in a meaningful way.

'From the recipients' perspective, they can feel good knowing they are also impacting the way the students view the world and providing the opportunity for a lesson that can be carried as they go through life.

'This can be a life changing and empowering moment for all involved.'

Technicians were due to be visiting the school this week to set up the printer.

Julie will now be lobbying the NHS to offer these 3D prosthetics as a cheaper and more practical option for others, instead of the bulky and 'unsuitable' prosthetics currently being offered.

As part of her mission to make 3D printed prosthetics more widely available, Julie has set up an online campaign to give to the educational minister and the health minister of the future government.

The petition calls for the 'go ahead' for GPs and NHS prosthetic departments to work alongside local schools with 3D printers to get these cheap and working upper limbs made.

Julie said: 'We need 100,000 signatures for it to be debated in parliament. It is a huge number, but we've got to start somewhere.'