June 22nd, 2009
WEST SUSSEX garden designer Chris Burns, an MS sufferer, has created a “senses” garden for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (July 7-12) with less-abled people in mind.
Three charities will be promoted on stand D40 – the MS Society, the RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind) and the NBCS (National Blind Children’s Society).
Chris (45) turned to local companies for support, including AVS Fencing Supplies Ltd - for all the timber on the stand - and the Camelia Botnar Foundation for the special clay materials being used.
Among the 1,500 plants on the stand – chosen for fragrance, feel and sound (rustling in the breeze) will be roses grown by UK Roses Ltd.
“Having suffered from multiple sclerosis myself for 23 years I have an instinct for what people with a disability want from a garden,” says Chris, who is being helped on the project by his garden design colleague Marianne Luckham – who was on the same Brinsbury College course which awarded them the City and Guilds Advanced National Certificate in Horticulture.
Also building the Hampton Court garden is construction manager Laurie Barker with other helpers including Chris’s wife, Susan.
Chris and Susan, who met while they were working for the same IT company, have three children – James (19), Vikki (17) and Bea (14), who are all students at the Weald College in Billingshurst, where the family live.
“I have always been an artist,” says Chris, “and artistic endeavours in painting, IT software creation and garden design have all been put to use over the years.
“I really wanted to do a garden for Hampton Court because I had seen what others did during my many visits to the show. The RHS have been very supportive.”
WHY TUDOR ROSE?
The Tudor Rose Garden is so-named because this year is the 500th anniversary of the crowning of Henry Eighth as king and the RHS has many features around the show ground with this theme in mind.
“Looking at the garden from above it will look like a Tudor Rose,” says Chris, “with timber decking paths and raised timber borders from AVS Fencing, together with a central wooden structure for climbing plants.
“All the plants have been specially grown and chosen for their qualities of promoting the senses with scent, texture and sound. All the labelling is in Braille and has been printed by the RNIB, so even those without sight can experience the plants and read about them.
“Special non-slip paint has been used on the walkways and the raised beds show how disabled people can more easily tend plants that are higher off the ground.”
Among the supporters of Chris’s Hampton Court garden is local Horsham MP Francis Maude who says: “This is exciting for Chris and he is proud of his innovative design focusing on disability awareness.
“I wish him many congratulations and good luck with this and other fundraising events he is organising for charity.”
At the end of the Hampton Court show Chris hopes to sell the entire garden to raise funds for the charities involved.
“It will be sold in its entirety as one complete lot and we hope to raise a good deal of money from this,” says Chris.
AVS Fencing marketing director Mark Whiting said: “We were delighted to be able to help. Chris has real charisma and vision and is very focused on the charities and raising awareness of gardening possibilities for the less-abled.
“All the fence posts used have special long-life treatment and the decking and planters being used are finished with safety in mind.”
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June 4th, 2009
AVS Fencing Supplies Ltd together with Partners Barkers Fencing have recently attended the Rail Improvement event held at the Barbican London on 21st May 2009 to explain how we could help with improving safety and security on tomorrows rail network. As leading providers of security fencing including Network Rail Spec. steel palisade and Sentinel Super 70 Chainlink fencing.
Overview of the Rail Improvement Event - Rail travel has never been under the public spotlight as it is today. With increased passenger fares, crowded carriages and line work, the modern commuters are facing tough decisions, and do they keep travelling by rail or move to other modes of transport, which again lead to questions surrounding sustainability and the environment. Railway Improvement 09 looked at the key area ‘passenger travel’ and how passenger travel can be improved, from introducing more carriages, to providing improved facilities, without causing further hindrance to the customer.
The Thameslink modernisation programme will look to solve many of these issues and with its £5.5bn investment aims to provide the rail user with the 12 car carriages up from the eight currently in-service, and which will be on line by 2015. These are ambitious targets, seeing as work needs to be carried out on 150 stations from platform lengthening to the upgrading of available services. Add to this the work being carried out on the Crossrail project – an exciting and visionary new rail proposal for London and the South-East; set out to produce a world-class, affordable railway, with a high frequency, convenient and accessible train service across the capital from 2017 – and the rail industry is now picking up speed and creating the services that the modern day commuter not only expects but deserves.
The event was attended by the leading movers from players in the Railway Industry which included Train Operating Companies: Virgin, One, Arriva, Crosscountry and First. Also in attendance were Local Authorities ,Central Government, Network Rail , Bombardier, Hitatchi, Alstom, Siemens, Metronet, Tubeline, Transport for London, Department for Transport and London Underground.
Recent projects supplied by AVS fencing include Heathrow Terminal 5, Gatwick Airport and Security Steel work on a number of Network Rail projects in the Southeast.
To find out more please contact Jez Cooper at AVS Fencing Supplies Ltd on 0800 019 1579
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March 27th, 2009
AVS Fencing Supplies Ltd, is launching a range of timber fence posts that have been through a brand new treatment process for longer life. Launch date 1st April 2009
Spring is a peak time for Property Managers and Fencing Contractors across the UK to take a long hard look at surroundings. All too often they are horrified to discover that fence posts have rotted and failed after only a few short years in service.
AVS Fencing Supplies has solved the costly problem of sawn treated timber fencing posts failing prematurely.
Using carefully selected pine (redwood) posts which have been kiln dried ( to around 28% moisture content ) these are treated with a special ACQ treatment process to give the fence posts virtually total protection from fungal decay and insect damage.
AVS is leading the way by taking these solutions to the market and this is likely to have major ramifications right across the UK timber treatment industry.
The new AVS posts have a lifespan of at least 15 years and AVS fencing are supporting this with a new guarantee.
The 15-year guarantee from AVS Fencing is the first of its kind in the UK available for this type of post and treatment process.
Mark Whiting, marketing director of AVS Fencing, says: “The secret is that we choose the right species of timber and ensure it is properly kiln-dried before treating the posts.”
“Every post is cut from British Pine, which - being redwood, rather than whitewood - allows the treatment to penetrate more deeply into the timber, which is why we, unlike many other post producers, insist upon it for ground contact posts.”
AVS handles enquiries both large and small from trade and retail customers.
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August 12th, 2008
AVS Fencing Supplies Ltd has expanded into Berkshire with a new site opened in Wokingham during May 2008. The site was formally occupied by BBC Fencing Supplies and is close to the busy M4 motorway which gives easy access to nearby Reading, Slough, West London & Heathrow area.
Stocking a full range of fencing and decking materials, as well as gates, these items form the staple diet of AVS customers. AVS aims to create a one-stop-shop where local contractors may either collect or have delivered everything they need for their fencing projects.
Further products ranges such as security will be considered for the future; in the meantime, the neighbouring and long established branch at Guildford in Surrey is also able to offer additional strength and breadth to the products available. The profile of stock kept at Wokingham will in the future be tailored to match the needs of the local customer base.
AVS continue to maintain a high level of service whilst at the same time maintaining personal contact with all of their customers. Ultimately they like to know everything about a customer’s normal requirements
so that they can work with them as partners. Great support for Wokingham branch and for its new customers is provided via the administration office in Sussex which houses both the AVS Sales and Operations teams.
This expansion and opening of a new trading location at Wokingham falls within the company strategy plan and is part of an ongoing policy of expansion.
Other specific locations are in mind for further branch locations. Even at a time when others are eyeing the market cautiously AVS still believe they have a winning formula and that there is opportunity for further growth.
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