Guildbourne Church

After over 20 years of hiring community centres and school assembly halls, Redeemer Worthing, a local church group in West Sussex, recently secured their permanent home: the top floor of the Guildbourne shopping centre. The challenge was to convert the 13,000 sqft of derelict space into functional areas, including a 300-seater auditorium, a breakout area, as well as a series of co-working and multi-purpose rooms, which will be available for hire when the floor is not in use by the church.

Working with the existing low ceilings and steel structures, Redeemer emphasised the industrial look and feel, opting for Allura Wood LVT which worked well against the off-white walls. The beautiful and natural aesthetic of the floor helps to warm up the space and creates an environment that is both homely and welcoming, which was important for a building that is set to become a community hub for the people of Worthing. Wrennall’s Group supplied cleaning equipment and advice to aid the maintenance of the space.

Val John, Operations Manager at Redeemer Worthing, said: “We are so pleased with the Allura installation. My main concern was whether the LVT would be able to last and it has already proven that it will. We had some drips coming from the ceiling, and we’ve moved furniture around quite a lot – both of which had no impact on the floor. While it was an investment, we know that it’s worth it because it will stand the test of time.”

Patrick Faulkner, Director of Sovereign Commercial Installations Ltd, the principle building contractor on the project, commented: “This was the first time that we had used Forbo and it’s fair to say that the experience, from installation through to the technical advice and support that was given, has converted us. Subsequent to this, we have now used Forbo on a few more of our commercial construction projects. They are a good manufacturer with good product and a good supply chain.”