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| Paxton's networked Net2 access control system was installed at Manvers Waterfront Boat Club |
Manvers Waterfront Boat Club is a multi-water sports centre on Manvers Lake, based in Wath-upon-Dearne, South Yorkshire. The centre specialises in paddle sports, with canoeing being at the heart of its activities. Manvers is an ideal place for grassroots learners to train in a real Olympic setting.
The centre works in partnership with Canoe England, the national governing body for canoeing, set up by Sport England. Sport England receives a yearly capital grants allowance from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to support the development of certain sport across the country.
In 2008 Canoe England used this funding and embarked upon a new project to turn a disused lakeside pit in Rotherham into a canoeing centre fit for Olympic standard training. Now, with help and support from the Environment Agency, the Carbon Trust and Dearne Valley College, Manvers Waterfront Boat Club is a haven for the local community.
During the planning stages of this project; Chairman, Chris Hawkesworth, decided to put in an access control system to manage security and water usage in the club house. As the building resulted from Government funding, making sure the club would run as economically as possible was paramount. Hot water for the showers, basins, kitchen and heating system is generated via a pump that comes from the lake itself.
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| To ensure minimum water usage, the shower system was integrated with Net2 control units |
The club needed an access system with features that could complement a sustainable building like this. The need to promote energy efficiency, stick to budget and save on expenses like water usage all had to be taken into consideration.
Chris says: "In the past we have often had problems keeping the water usage to a minimum as people would leave the showers on. We needed a green solution that was vandal proof as well." Chris called in Richard Muscroft, of Churchill Security, who specified Paxton's networked Net2 access control system as a solution to the club's security and water usage requirements.
Richard says: "When Chris told me what shower system the club was using, I realised I could integrate with Net2 control units to activate the showers. This meant that we could set a timer on the showers via the Net2 software, ensuring minimum water usage and therefore the greenest possible solution. Of course, Net2 is also ideal for providing total security on the club's doors."
Richard and his team installed 11 Net2 control units in total, including women's and men's showers, disabled washrooms and main doors. As all Paxton readers are IPX7 rated and therefore waterproof, there was no problem fitting them to the shower rooms. Richard fitted a PROXIMITY backbox reader opposite each shower, when a club member swipes their Net2 token, it toggles a relay setting off the infrared sensor activating the shower. The shower works on a timer for two minutes and then switches off.
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| The authorities decided to install an access control system to manage security and water usage in the club |
This not only keeps water wastage to a minimum and keeps costs down but it deters vandalism as the reader is so robust and low profile. The efficiency of the new Net2 system meant guests are no longer charged extra to use the shower facilities.
Chris says: "The Net2 system chops that cost down to pence, so much so that we can throw the shower facilities in with the membership charge and not ask guests for extra contributions, which works very well for us."
As many of the centre's members are children and young adults, it's important to provide a safe environment for them. Teachers and site instructors all have to pass CRB checks and it is vital that there is strict management over who is allowed on site at any time.
Richard says: "The Net2 system really improves security for the youngsters that use the club house. Installing Net2 has meant that this Canoe England site strikes a fine balance between providing an open, welcoming venue for water sports enthusiasts and a safe, secure environment that gives members peace of mind."
The centre uses the flexible Net2 software to set different access permissions for its 520 members, granting and denying access to specific areas of the club, at the click of a button.
Over the next year Chris hopes to see the club membership climb to almost 1,000, but in the long term he expects the club will welcome up to 120,000 irregular users. With this volume of members and visitors it's important that the flow of people around the building can be easily managed and that each user has their own personal access permissions.
Chris is really pleased with how the Net2 system is working for the centre and feels confident that the system has the capabilities to meet future requirements.
He says: "A club like this has to keep its costs down to keep going at all. Net2 is so easy to use. We've had no maintenance call outs and no emergencies. It has simply given us an economical, green security solution that's ideal for Canoe England."
