Britplas Fortress 80 Fencing installed at Sowenna CAMHS Inpatient Unit, Bodmin, has won the award for the Best External Environment Project at the 2021 Building Better Healthcare Awards.

The BBH Awards celebrate the very best in the design and build of healthcare facilities across the UK. During a double celebration held at The Brewery in central London this week and attended by more than 600 guests, trophies were handed out across five classes for both the 2020 and 2021 competitions, after last year’s event was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Britplas anti-ligature Fortress 80 Fencing is widely used for securing mental health unit buildings, recreational and outdoor areas, providing total security and safety for patients and staff.

Supported on substantial posts and fixed with anti-tamper fixings, Fortress Fencing is ultra-strong, exceptionally secure and can be built up to heights of 5.2 metres. Its innovative cloaking allows for the overprinting of artwork or scenery which can be used to enhance therapeutic environments.

The Sowenna fence was installed in Q4 2020, with Britplas adopting Covid-secure working practices to carry out the project during the UK’s second period of lockdown.

“We are absolutely delighted with the finished Fortress 80 Fencing” explained Karyn Roberts, Business Support Officer at Sowenna. “Not only has it solved the fundamental problems with the old fence but it’s actually helped to create a much more pleasant environment for our service users.

“Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with visitors and patients regularly telling us how much better it looks, but we are also seeing a direct behavioural impact with markedly increased usage of the recreation area.

“We are all aware of the therapeutic impact of the natural environment and this fencing is a great way to bring the beauty of the outdoors into our facility whilst also, crucially, successfully solving a potential absconsion problem and minimising the ligature risk.”

For more details on the Sowenna fencing project please click here.

For more details on Fortress 80 Fencing please click here.

The complete list of BBH Award winners can be found here.