New school block accessible thanks to movemanSKG

RG Falla, a premier building contractor based in Guernsey, installed a movemanSKG Prestige platform lift as part of a £1m new arts and drama block for The Ladies College, also located in Guernsey.

The Ladies' College was founded in 1872 to provide an academic education for girls in Guernsey. An early example of the pioneering movement in women's education, it drew much of its inspiration from Cheltenham Ladies' College. It now accepts girls from reception stage all the way up to 'A' levels.

RG Falla specialises in large, complex buildings. The company, established in 1956, has a depth of experience in multiple sectors; from civic buildings and schools, high tech financial institutions, to commercial and residential projects. When The Ladies College decided to build a new arts and drama block they were the natural choice.

The new building has two storeys and covers approximately 630 square metres in total. movemanSKG's Prestige is located in the foyer area and allows less able children, staff and visitors to access classroom facilities on the first floor. It travels 3560mm and lifts up to 400kg. With a large 1100 x 1500mm platform there is space for a wheelchair user plus an attendant, essential in places where children might not be old enough to operate the lift independently.

Although Prestige is a freestanding unit, RG Falla built a plasterboard lift shaft to contain it. Dean Winsall, Quantity Surveyor at RG Falla, comments: "Disabled access is a legal requirement as schools are covered by the Equality Act and must provide access routes for the less able. We received an excellent service and the installation went smoothly. Indeed, the school was operational at the time but movemanSKG worked around this with ease."

The Ladies College's new Prestige has a standard 'off white' finish and blends expertly with its surroundings. It features controlled acceleration and deceleration to eliminate jolts between landings and tactile illuminated control buttons positioned at a convenient height for wheelchair users, allowing them to operate the unit independently.