Church signs

Solid surfacing plaques supplied by Greenbarnes are helping combat the rising tide of metal thefts across the UK.

Nothing, it seems, is sacrosanct. Signal cabling, manhole covers, road signs and, shamefully, even war memorials are amongst the growing list of items which are targeted with increasing frequency for their scrap metal value.

The consequences of these misdeeds manifest themselves in a variety of unpleasant ways, whether in the inconvenience and irritation of delayed and cancelled trains, the potential danger resulting from missing signs and manholes, or the shear grief of discovering that a memorial to a loved one has been melted down for its scrap value.

Two of the key reasons often cited for the current upsurge of such offences are an increase in commodity prices and the simultaneous downturn in the economy. Given that neither of these conditions look likely to change significantly in the foreseeable future, is there anything that can be done to counter the problem?

At Greenbarnes we believe that there is. Indeed, there are things that can be done, and in fact, things that we have already been doing for a considerable time to ensure that a wide variety of products intended for use in the public domain, perform their intended function without attracting the wrong form of attention. It all starts at the design stage, with the intelligent choice of materials.

“It all starts at the design stage, with the intelligent choice of materials”.

A prime example of this is memorial plaques, whether in large schemes as installed at a crematorium or, as in a recent example that came to our attention, a single war memorial built into the church gate post.

As long ago as 1997, in response to the removal by thieves of approximately 300 individual metal plaques in one night, Greenbarnes embarked on designing a better way forward. Subsequently adopted by a number of crematoria throughout the UK, this scheme uses solid surfacing materials (of the type frequently used to create high quality kitchen worktops and retail counters), in place of traditional bronze or brass plaques. The virtue of this material lies in its unlikely combination of a top quality appearance with a zero scrap value.

In addition to addressing the problem of theft, careful design consideration at the outset also ensured that the perennial problems of fixing and removing from walls and the consequent difficulties of acurate alignment were addressed. Moreover, for applications such as churches needing a way to commemorate cremated remains, a scheme can be economically tailored to fit individual requirements.

So, whether you are considering a memorial scheme or a single commemorative plaque, your starting point should be to ring our sales team on 01280 701093 or email our Sales Department for sound advice and no-obligation quotations.

A2 notice board designed by Greenbarnes Ltd specifically for use in church porch environments.

The Church Porch – A difficult space to manage.

The church porch is an odd environment. Neither wholly inside nor outside, this transition between the secular and spiritual worlds, frequently becomes a neglected hinterland, of windblown debris, mildew and damp paper. Even churches which otherwise pay great attention to first impressions, are often guilty of falling at this last hurdle on their threshold.

In truth it is a tough environment to manage, in many cases still more suited to its original purpose of storing visitor’s weapons than to its more mundane modern roles of providing shelter from the rain, offering a place for meeting and greeting, and displaying copious amounts of information.

As a result this latter function, walls are often covered in damp and rotting pinboards, most of which are ill-designed to cope with the environment in which they are located. And it is for this very reason that Greenbarnes have developed a purpose-made range of unglazed notice boards for church porch applications.

Framed either in oak or, for completely maintenance-free performance, in Man-made Timber, (a recycled plastic with the appearance of timber), these boards have a weatherproof rubber pinboard, are available in a range of standard sizes, or can be made to measure.

If the problems outlined above have set alarm bells ringing, then contact us on 01280 701093, or email our Sales Department

Recycled Plastic A Board

Sometimes the most unlikely sounding headlines offer a gateway to the soundest of ideas. So it is with our MmT “A” board, the latest addition to our extensive range of notice boards and signs manufactured in Man-made Timber.

With the appearance of timber, but requiring none of the associated maintenance, MmT will not rot, split warp or fade and is therefore an ideal framing medium for signs including pavement signs where a traditional look is needed.

Originally developed in response to demand from one of our traditional markets, churches, this is an idea that can be adapted for a host of applications including restaurants, retail outlets and indeed any situation requiring the portable display or information permanent or temporary.

The illustration opposite shows the chalk board version, but a variety of substrates are available allowing permanent information to be displayed either in computer-cut vinyl lettering or as a digitally-printed graphic panel. Standard sizes include A1, A2 and 1100mm high x 575mm wide.

For further information, please call us on 01280 701093.