Forest School notice board in Heavy-duty Man-made Timber for Northwood Park Community Group

Continuing the school theme of our last news item, this posting focuses on the subject of our heavy-duty recycled plastic notice boards, an example of which was recently supplied to Northwood Park Community Group (NPCG) for use in a “Forest School” project in Lee, South London.

NPGC grew out of a campaign started by 8 year old Ryan Wells to persuade his local council to clean up and make safe his local park which had become run-down and uninviting. The Forest School area is one small part of what has been achieved in a concerted effort by local residents with assistance from a number of sources including lottery funding. Greenbarnes are pleased to have assist by providing a notice board for the project which is designed to display both permanent and changing information.

Posts and the main frame of the board are manufactured from the company’s Heavy-duty Man-made Timber material, a tough recycled plastic which will not warp, rot, or split and will require no maintenance beyond the occasional scrub down with warm water.

The display area is divided into a glazed lockable section with a steel back panel to accept notices secured by magnets and a digitally printed panel displaying a map and information about the activities in the Forest School area.

For more information on our man-made Timber boards click here, call us on 01280 701093, or email our Sales team sales@greenbarnes.co.uk

Maintenance-free Man-made Timber notice boards from Greenbarnes Ltd welcome visitors to the National Trust's Cragside Estate in Northumberland.

Visitors to the National Trust’s Cragside Estate in Northumberland are now presented with the information necessary to make the most of their visit courtesy of a series of recently installed information boards manufactured from recycled plastics.

No less than 15 boards from the Greenbarnes Man-made Timber (MmT) range have been installed throughout the extensive property which has 9 separate car parks and 30 miles of footpaths.

The Trust’s decision to opt for maintenance-free MmT boards rather than their traditional timber equivalent is in keeping with the pioneering spirit of the property which, as the family home of Victorian inventor and industrialist Lord Armstrong, was not only the first house to be lit by hydro-electricity but also boasts a wealth of other ingenious gadgetry including fire alarm buttons, telephones, a passenger lift and a Turkish bath suite.

“I am very happy with the boards. They are perfect for what we wanted and have made a great impact in the few weeks they have been up. They fit into the landscape/setting very comfortably, particularly as we are a Grade One listed landscape. I am particularly keen on the use of recycled materials”, commented Duncan Norman of The National Trust, on the decision to opt for MmT in such a sensitive location.

I am very happy with the boards. They are perfect for what we wanted and have made a great impact in the few weeks they have been up. They fit into the landscape/setting very comfortably, particularly as we are a Grade One listed landscape. I am particularly keen on the use of recycled materials.

As the accompanying photographs illustrate, we think he has a point! To learn more about the benefits of our maintenance-free recycled plastic notice boards ring us on 01280 701093, email our Sales Department or go to www.greenbarnes.co.uk/product-type/noticeboards/man-made-timber-notice-boards

An A3 portrait format menu case from Greenbarnes' new Man-made Timber Smallboard range.

Restaurant owners know that now, more than ever before, success depends upon creating a good first impression. If passers-by don’t even break their stride to glance at your menu, then its content is irrelevant, they won’t be dining. So presenting the information in a tidy and professional fashion becomes a prerequisite of success, but how is this best achieved?

In many cases, particularly in urban surroundings, the answer lies in the use an aluminium menu case (and we offer plenty of alternatives to fill this requirement), but is there something more appropriate for use elsewhere, in more rural surroundings?

The traditional and obvious answer to this question is to use a timber display case of some description, but these do require unflinching dedication to their regular maintenance in order to keep them in tip-top condition.

But fear not! Now there is a maintenance-free solution that looks like timber but has none of the inherent problems of wooden menu boards – the Greenbarnes Man-made Timber Smallboard.

Greenbarnes have been manufactured larger scale notice boards in this versatile recycled plastic material since 1994 and, as a result of demand, we are now pleased to offer these menu-sized cases in 3 standard sizes, A2, A3 & A4 in portrait and landscape formats. Man-made timber will not warp, rot, split or fade and as it is totally impervious to salt, it is ideal for use in sea front environments.

For more details of the benefits of man-made timber, please click here. Alternatively, to discuss the possibilities, including branding and bespoke sizes, please call our sales team on 01280 701093.

Comrie in Colour volunteers pictured with their new recycled plastic notice board

The beautiful village of Comrie in Perthshire, Scotland, lies on the banks of the River Earn at the edge of the Scottish Highlands and is in the heart of the scenic West Strathearn area of Perthshire, with mountains rising to the north.

When it comes to their recycling activities, the local population must be ranked amongst the most resourceful of citizens. Amongst the many active village organisations is “Comrie in Colour” which, last year, successfully gained awards in the Large Village category of ‘Take a Pride in Perthshire and ‘Scotland in Bloom. Building on this success the group has now decided to compete in ‘Britain in Bloom’ and to this end it has been working hard in and around the village.

“We have planted over 4.000 plug plants for the baskets to hang in the village, this involved making our own liners for the baskets out of re-used plastic resourced locally”
- says the group’s page on the village website.

Most recently however, the group has furthered its green credentials by choosing one of Greenbarnes’ range of maintenance-free Man-made Timber notice boards, also constructed from recycled plastics, to publicise its own work as well as that of other village groups.

For further details of all our recycled plastic notice boards call us on 01280 701093 or email our Sales Department or go to www.greenbarnes.co.uk/product-type/noticeboards/man-made-timber-notice-boards

Solar-powered notice board recently installed at Welcombe Hills School, Stratford upon Avon.

Welcombe Hills School, a specialist college for the visual and performing arts in Stratford upon Avon, is one of the latest Greenbarnes clients to be enjoying the benefits of installing a solar-illuminated notice board.

When the need for a new board arose recently, the school chose an A0 landscape format board with white powder-coated finish and polycarbonate glazing from our growing range of solar-powered notice boards.

Solar illumination allowed the board to be installed in the chosen location on the far side of the car park from the school building without the need to run mains cables and the associated costs. A passive motion sensor detects movement after dusk and thus the board is only lit when passers-by are in the vicinity. This drastically reducies the power consumption of the unit.

For this installation a board with a contemporary appearance was appropriate, however for locations suited to something of more traditional nature, the “Ornate” range offers the same technology built into boards with decorative posts and finials.

Site supervisor Jason Yapp commented that since installation of the board he had been impressed by both the level of illumination of the board and the effectiveness of the motion sensors.

For further details and to receive a no-obligation quotation, please contact our Sales Department

Solar-powered notice board wall-mounted version

Greenbarnes have turned to solar-power for the latest additions to our range of external aluminium notice boards and display cases. With the emphasis currently being placed on implementing environmentally responsible solutions this is bound to appeal to a wide body of users, not least local authorities.

The benefits however are not confined to the product’s green credentials; the lack of need for a mains power supply not only makes installation significantly cheaper but also allows illumination in areas where this would previously have been impractical. Hence, a wide range of users including churches, schools and parish councils are now able to double the effectiveness of their message by getting it across day and night.

Motion sensors and a timing mechanism ensure that lighting is active on only when people are in close proximity, hence maximising battery life. For more information contact our Sales Department via email or use our contact form on this site.

Before and after photos of a Greenbarnes installation at Chipping Warden, Northants.

Our recently introduced nationwide installation service is off to a flying start with jobs in a variety of locations already completed and many more quoted for.

As a manufacturer, we have always done everything possible to ensure that our products are simple to install and that they are supplied with full instructions to enable end users or their chosen contractors to undertake the work.

Whilst the use of such local contractors continues to be the method of choice for many of our clients, recently we have become aware of a growing demand for a one stop “supply and fix” service from customers who are either unable to source their own contractor, or who would prefer to see both the manufacturing and installation aspects of the project handled as one.

After careful evaluation, we believe that we have found ideal partners in the form of specialist sign installation company CSIM, who will be undertaking installations on our behalf in England and Wales, and Edinburgh-based Colinton Arts who will offer a similar service in Scotland.

Greenbarnes were very helpful in assisting us to find the right notice board for our needs. Delivery and installation were on time and the quality of the board is excellent.
- Lorraine Stanley of Chipping Warden Parish Council

For further details and costings, please contact our Sales Department

A-Max cases used in Ely Cathedral wayfinding project

We are delighted to be able to report that our A-Max aluminium display cases were recently specified as part of a signage project for Ely Cathedral.

Designers Maddison Graphic were commissioned by the cathedral Architects, Purcell Miller Tritton, and the Dean & Chapter at Ely Cathedral to design replacement wayfinding and information panels. The signs are positioned at seven entrances to the cathedral precinct, the idea being that any visitor to the cathedral would pass one of them. Three of the information panels are abutted by a second poster case containing notices.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ELY CATHEDRAL WAYFINDING PROJECT