Client:
Clapton Park Methodist Church serves the thriving and exciting London Borough of Hackney: spritually, culturally, socially and economically diverse, the community experiences many challenges so the Church must be able to engage with individuals and groups from all walks of life on a daily basis.

Problem:
The Church’s unusual layout features a chapel on a first floor rather than traditionally at street level, a real hindrance for the elderly and disabled members of the congregation. Henry Ghent, Chief Steward for the building, sought a solution that would enable the Church to better serve these members of the community, as well as helping to transport the occasional coffin with dignity.

Mr Ghent found Evo Lifts online and was impressed by their flexible approach. He knew that the project would have its complexities and sought a partner that would help him work through the challenges that the building presented. Also important was their ability to offer excellent value for money because the project was to be solely funded by the Church.

Solution:
Evo Lifts supplied and installed an Evo 500S Internal Platform Lift, custom built with a large extended platform of 1980mm and 500kg lifting capacity to facilitate coffin carriage. The lift serves two levels, foyer and chapel, with a total travel distance of 2440mm and includes a fixed ramp and concealed closer to the lower door to accommodate a low ceiling height. Fast and quiet, the Evo 500 platform lift requires no lift shaft or external machine room which makes it an economical access solution. It’s also one of the first lifts to achieve a certificate of approval under the new machinery directive 2010. For the user, it is safe and simple to operate with illuminated tactile controls, soft start and sensitive platform edges.

Extensive building works are rarely required to install Evo platform lifts. However, on this occasion, specialists were commissioned to modify an existing concrete stairwell and upper landing within the Church to create a solution that would accommodate the lift without major disruption to the fabric of the building. Hackney Borough Council building control was happy to approve the scheme and granted permission in the Summer of 2010 with building works and lift installation carried out promptly in September the same year.

Result:
Commenting on the end result, Chief Steward for the building Henry Ghent said: “We are extremely pleased with our Evo Platform Lift and have received a great deal of praise from our congregation – indeed it was put to immediate use for a christening party! A carpenter by trade I have worked in construction all my life but I have never had to install a lift before. Evo Lifts gave me all the help and support I needed to complete this project and it went extremely smoothly. I would definitely work with Evo Lifts again and recommend them to anyone.”

Steve Coak, Managing Director of Evo Platform Lifts, said: “I personally project managed this installation and was proud to do so. Our Evo 500 Internal Platform Lift is designed for flexibility and with an extensive list of options it is able to meet just about any individual requirement.”