Member Article

Treske praised for "outstanding" work for Abu Dhabi church

Treske, the award-winning Yorkshire furniture designer and manufacturer, has been praised for its “outstanding work” supplying church furniture, worth £100,000, to the leading Christian church in Abu Dhabi.

The bespoke church furniture was installed at St Andrew’s Church at a special ceremony.

This prestigious contract followed Treske’s £80,000 fit-out for the first Christian crematorium widely open to ex-pats in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at Al Foah.

The Thirsk-based family-owned business designed and manufactured 425 solid oak chairs, an altar table, a solid oak pulpit, a wall cross and a credence table especially for St Andrew’s Church, with the St Andrew’s cross hand-carved into some of the furniture.

Treske has previously exported church and domestic furniture to countries including Japan, the UAE and the US, with exports representing about five per cent of the company’s turnover.

Treske’s managing director, Justin Bartlett, said: “This was a very significant order from us, strengthening our presence in the Gulf region. The furniture for the Al Foah crematorium established our reputation in the UAE and we were delighted when it led to this major contract in Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s second most important city after Dubai.

“Although the UAE is predominantly Muslim, there is a strong Christian community in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, mainly due to the large number of ex-pats who live there. It is a huge privilege to supply so much furniture to such a respected and popular church like St Andrew’s,” said Mr Bartlett.

The Rev Canon Andy Thompson MBE, the vicar of St Andrew’s commented: “I first encountered the work of Treske, when I visiting the Al Ain crematorium with Treske consultant Russell Clynch in 2010.

“I loved the workmanship of the furniture there and decided then, if it were possible, that I would love Treske to fit out St Andrew’s Church. We were at that stage, planning a major renovation of our properties and a complete rehaul of all our furniture was part of that.

“The real challenge was the furniture. It was here where Treske came to the fore. With their extensive experience of supplying churches with custom designed, hard-wearing, robust furniture (which was essential), they stood out from the competition.

“Treske were also outstanding in their commitment to adding to the aesthetic of a place of worship. Come the rededication day, it was gratifying to see so many people walk through the doors which had been closed for many months and seeing the ‘Wow’ look on their faces. From a somewhat shabby and battered interior, there is now a sanctuary in every sense of the word. Simple, yet beautiful, the Church and Treske’s furniture will be used for the worship of God by literally thousands of Christians in the years to come,” he added.

Apart from its success abroad, Treske is now the leading manufacturer and supplier of church furniture in this country, having undertaken ecclesiastical projects for high-profile churches across the UK, including Ripon Cathedral; St George’s Chapel, Windsor; Bradford Cathedral and St Martin-in-the-Fields in central London.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Robert Beaumont .