BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT The benefits of physical
activity Comment by RICHARD AYLEN, Technical Manager, Junckers Ltd
The benefits of physical activity to mental and bodily health are well known and are even more important in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic. An unfamiliar and restricted learning environment can only make life harder for students and staff, and could result in a downward cycle of declining achievement and increasing behavioral problems. Sport and regular physical activity can offer a mental “reset” that helps us to deal with what life throws at us. When we talk about times of
“lockdown” and “self-isolation” this might imply a period of physical inactivity, which can only add to the problem. With the approach of winter and the disruption bad weather can cause to outdoor activities, a school’s indoor activity spaces will show their worth more than ever before. The Department for Education has recently made £480m available
under its Condition Improvement Fund. This provides an opportunity for more schools to replace or upgrade their sports, dance and drama spaces if they are simply beyond their useful life, or where the specification falls short of current procurement recommendations. An example might be the
replacement a hard, unyielding sports floors with one that is shock absorbing and has optimum slip resistance. Most sports halls and studios in UK schools were designed for specific
activities and may not meet current needs under Covid 19 restrictions. Students can no longer mix freely within the school, so activity spaces are being used as (among other things) temporary classrooms, dining halls and social spaces. This may test the building and finishes in ways they were not originally intended for, so choosing the right floor finish is crucial if you are planning refurbishment. The floor is one element of an activity area that may suffer because
some products are not as versatile as we now need them to be. The wrong choice can mean high repair bills or the long term burden of
using temporary surface protection; and you have to consider lifetime cost, life span and environmental credentials. Expanding the range of uses may mean more surface damage, new maintenance procedures and the risk of cuts and indentations, so the integrity of the finish is crucial as is ease and cost of repair. Some finishes can be fully refurbished whereas others cannot. A traditional sports floor finish such a solid hardwood is long lasting and
very adaptable - we see timber floors every day in all kinds of high traffic locations, including sports halls. Other surfaces such as vinyl or polyurethane can offer a wide choice of colours but may need protection from more severe use. Environmental considerations include the use of plastics and oil derived products and embodied carbon levels. Nothing is without compromise of course, but I think we can come quite close to having the best of both worlds by making the right choices. With a little research it is possible to find materials that do not compromise on performance or cost when used both as activity floors and for a broader spectrum of school activities.
uwww.junckers.co.uk
Our Lady’s Catholic College Upgrade LED Lighting and Save £22k A Year A
secondary school in Lancaster are now benefiting from an extra £22,000 a year in savings, after taking necessary steps to become
more energy efficient. . Our Lady’s Catholic College, described by the Diocese of Lancaster as
an outstanding Catholic school, have upgraded their old lighting to LED to reduce energy consumption, save money and improve their carbon footprint. The project reduced kilowatt usage by 77%, resulting in saving 63
CO2 tonnes a year. Financially, by installing efficient LED lighting, the college is forecast to save almost £220,000 over the next 10 years which equates to £22,000 annually. Katy Walker, School Business Manager at Our Lady’s Catholic College,
commented: “Having the school fully fitted with LED lighting was a huge job, as we have a large site. Since the new LED Lighting was fitted, a number of staff have commented that they feel the lighting is much more pleasant than our previous 'harsh' strip lighting and gives a much warmer lighting effect in classrooms. We have saved money too, with the growing costs of electricity this change was essential to keep our bills from rocketing!” UK Energy Watch, a specialist Energy Efficiency Consultant based in
Lancashire, coordinated the project for Our Lady’s Catholic College; submitting the funding application, lighting designs, project plan and installation. Funding for the LED Lighting work was secured through Salix Finance
interest-free Government funding, which is available to the public sector to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and lower energy bills. This is offered to public sector organisations in England, Scotland and Wales to tackle climate change and UK Energy Watch submitted Our
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www.education-today.co.uk October 2020
Lady’s Catholic College’s application. Ashley Bullock, Director at UK Energy Watch, said: “We were thrilled
to help the college to save as much money as we did but more importantly, the college is leading the way for the area in improving their sustainability. Their motto is to ‘Aspire not to have more but to be more’ and that’s exactly what they have demonstrated.” Alex Morgan, Programme Manager at Salix Finance added: “Salix is
delighted to have supported Our Lady’s Catholic College to deliver LED lighting across their school. The project will see large financial and carbon savings, as well as improving the learning environment for pupils.” LED Lighting is one of the most low-hanging technologies to improve
energy efficiency. Quality LED lights last longer, are more durable and use considerably less electricity than an equivalent tungsten halogen source.
uwww.ukenergywatch.co.uk
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