Summit Centre, Kirkby in Ashfield
RAILINGS PART OF COMMUNITY CENTRE REFURBISHMENT
The Summit Centre, which is part of the miner’s welfare centre for the East Kirkby Miner’s Welfare Trust in Nottinghamshire has undergone a major transformation to improve and upgrade its facilities. Local environmental regeneration charity, Groundwork Ashfield & Mansfield, designed and implemented the scheme.
Part of the refurbishment was the installation of new railings and gates, which were design assisted, manufactured and supplied by local bespoke architectural metalwork manufacturer Alpha Rail. The Summit Centre had very specific requirements as to what they wanted, which included the design of a peaked summit logo which was emphasised by being powder coated in an orange shade to symbolise the summit of the local pit, now closed. The pit played a hugely important part in the community and now the Summit Centre provides a hub for a wide range of activities, including a fitness suite, play group, courses, such as painting classes, martial arts and a café/bar and meeting room facilities.
Kay Appleby, manager of the Summit Centre, said: "This building plays a hugely important part in this area. We chose railings and gates from Alpha Rail to provide protection to the building as well as a graphic demonstration of the history of the centre. The railings have a visually striking effect, which has had a great response from visitors here. We were delighted that a local company could meet our requirements as this building is so important to the community in this area."
Alpha Rail supplied 11m of 1950mm high feature fencing, 70m of standard vertical bar railings and two gates. This included site survey and installation to meet the project’s strict timescales. The fencing was supplied through landscape contractor Crestra, who completed the installation.
Phil Ball, Sales Director of Alpha Rail, explains: "This was a really satisfying project to be involved with. Many of our staff live in the Kirkby area and, as a local company, we feel like we have been able to play a part in this centre’s history. The high quality manufacture of the railings and gates and the fact that they are powder coated means they will give exceptional performance for many years."
Alpha Rail, which is based in Nottinghamshire, has over 25 years’ experience in urban regeneration, green space and park restoration. The company provides a bespoke service for architectural metalwork and has supplied many prestigious projects as well as many new and refurbished housing estates with new gates and railings, making a real difference to the local community.
