Major recent contracts have included Highgate East, a purpose-built £70 m secure mental health facility in the heart of Central London, alongside the North View site in Manchester – a 150-bedroom inpatient facility that was Polar’s biggest mental health project to date.
The manufacturer said the specialised products it designs and builds are vital for units housing vulnerable people.
It said that ‘traditional windows are unsuitable for mental health units as they pose security and ligature risks, while Polar’s innovative windows negate that risk whilst still allowing in light and ventilation’.
It added that they can be operated by service users, ‘all of which boosts mental health and wellbeing, and provides greater independence and dignity’.
Nick Sutton, Polar’s partnership manager said: “It started 17 years ago, when we were first approached to see if we could create something for a mental health facility, simply because the products on the market at that time were not fit for purpose.
“But the sad reality is that the demand for these services has only grown over those years. People are really struggling out there, but thankfully we are in a fortunate position to help in our own unique way.”
The company emphasised that the mental health crisis is not an abstract issue for them, but one that is deeply felt in its own community.
It commented that ‘nationally, over 5,500 lives are lost nationally each year to suicide, but the North East – and specifically Teesside – is hit harder than most’.
It added that ‘Stockton, Redcar and Middlesbrough were all recently named as having some of the highest suicide rates in the UK, with the latter once receiving the unwanted title of Britain’s suicide capital’.
James Hill, Polar’s managing director added: “Most of us in this area have been impacted either directly or indirectly by mental health, and through Polar and working directly with NHS trusts, we see first-hand how it can impact anyone.”
It is a motivation that fuels Polar’s mission to improve lives by design.
Long-standing relationships
Polar have worked with Middlesbrough’s Roseberry Park since 2008. The company were originally approached to make the windows in the hospital more secure but instead they collaborated with the trust to develop a bespoke new window. The relationship has continued with Polar providing maintenance services, being on reactive call, and creating local jobs in the process.
Around 70 to 80 percent of Polar’s business comes from mental health sites. Many of their products are fully bespoke.
The company also works on educational sites, including Sunderland University, Yarm School and Newcastle University’s Dame Margaret Barbour Building, as well as Stockton’s refurbished Globe Theatre. It has also worked internationally with a recent contract in France.
“The demand is staring us in the face, and we have various NHS trusts and private sector organisations speaking with us every day, but like much of the public sector, they just can’t get the funding needed for work that is ultimately life changing,” added Nick Sutton.
“When we handed over the keys to one recent project at a mental health site in the Midlands, staff were visibly emotional simply because they knew that these were more than just windows and doors – they would improve their life and the lives of patients.”