Delta Security, the CCTV and access control specialist, has installed a video door entry and intruder alarm system into the vicarage attached to St George in the East Church, for long-standing client, the London Diocesan Fund.
The London Diocesan Fund is responsible for the administration and maintenance of all 420 Church of England parishes located within the M25, comprising approximately 600 properties. It has worked with Delta Security for eight years for its CCTV and access control requirements, totalling c.50 security projects per year.
Kenny Cathro, Head of Operational Housing, London Diocesan Fund, says it is vital that church employees feel safe and comfortable in their own homes:
“Vicars can receive visitors at any time of day or night, from people organising weddings and funerals to troubled individuals seeking financial and spiritual support. It is therefore important that vicars have full control over who they let into their homes.”
Videx door entry system has been installed at the St George in the East Church vicarage, with an LCD screen that provides clear video footage of who is trying to gain access. The vicar can speak to the visitor via a handset if they wish, or do nothing, without letting the visitor know they are home.
Security has been further enhanced with a state-of-the-art, wireless Visonic intruder alarm system that works with up to 60 wireless devices. Users have remote-access functionality via a specifically-designed app.
Kenny says that key to the relationship with Delta Security is the high levels of customer service they receive:
“I trust Delta to specify reliable and user-friendly equipment. Their responsiveness to enquiries is dependable, fast and efficient, and the engineers are professional and knowledgeable, getting the job done with the minimum of fuss.”
The 600 London properties included in the London Diocesan Fund’s remit vary considerably in age, size and value and it is important that security installations are each designed according to their environment:
“The vicarage connected to the 16th Century St George in the East Church is a Grade II listed building, requiring sympathetic installation. Conversely, within London we have many modern vicarages in more built up areas that also require a bespoke approach,” he says.
“For me, it is about working with suppliers who are honest and straightforward in providing the level of security we need, at a cost we can afford – we have this in Delta Security,” Kenny concludes.