FWP’s Forget Me Not Centre shortlisted for top design award

Preston headquartered FWP has been nominated for a prestigious design industry award for its innovative work creating a special centre that provides family support through grief and bereavement.

Its ‘Forget Me Not Centre’ project at St John’s Hospice in Lancaster has been shortlisted in the Mixology North22 Awards, which celebrate the very best projects, products and people in commercial interior design.

The leading architecture, design and masterplanning practice will discover if it has won the ‘Project Of The Year – Positive Impact’ category at an awards ceremony being held at Manchester Central on December 1.

The centre, in the grounds of the hospice, opened earlier this year and offers whole family support. FWP was commissioned to deliver a place that would offer a safe, warm and welcoming environment for families and individuals to have support in a space away from home and the main hospice building.

It has quiet rooms, breakout spaces, an open space for group and family activities, mixed-use areas, two kitchens and offices.

Two special gardens are also part of the centre, including a sensory garden providing reflective spaces where young children and teenagers can be immersed in the scents, textures and colours of plants and related elements.

Neil Ainsworth, FWP partner and architect on the project, said: “The Forget Me Not Centre is a very special building, a beacon of hope that is making a real difference to people’s lives and it is great to see that recognised in this award nomination.

“That industry recognition is also testament to the work of the whole team involved in the project. We’ve received some great feedback about the centre’s design and this shortlisting in such a prestigious competition underlines the thought and effort put into its creation and successful delivery.”

The Mixology North22 Project of the Year shortlist is made up of selected projects revealed across workplace, hospitality, living and public sector design – offering an opportunity to look back at another “exceptional year of design” in the North.

The chosen projects have been picked by judges out of hundreds of nominations and involve creative, original and impactful design work.

FWP, which has offices in Preston, Manchester, and London, has a wealth of experience in the healthcare sector built up over 30 years.

Among its standout projects are the Life and Urgent Care centres at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital; The Minerva Centre in Preston North End’s Deepdale ground and the Oaklands Mental Health Facility in Lancaster.