| Whitwam AVI returns to St. Giles with managed services commitment |
The Grade 1 listed St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, one of Scotland’s most iconic religious landmarks, has agreed an ongoing maintenance contract with Whitwam AVI. Since an initial collaboration on a full AV system refit in 2016, the partnership remains vital to the smooth running of the Cathedral’s services, broadcasts and events.
In addition to being a working parish church, St Giles’ is a major visitor attraction on the Edinburgh scene and is frequently used as a performance venue, hosting international musicians, spoken word events and candlelit orchestral concerts. Whitwam AVI has worked with many of the UK’s most revered ecclesiastical sites, including Winchester, Canterbury, and Peterborough Cathedrals. Introduced to St. Giles’ through AV consultant Michael Hyland and Associates, a long-time collaborator of Whitwam’s founder, David Harding, the relationship has flourished into a model of client-focused AV integration excellence.
“We see, first hand, the exceptional value our clients find from an ongoing maintenance relationship,” says Jack Baker, maintenance manager at Whitwam AVI. “Through a managed services collaboration, St. Giles is investing in the future and longevity of their technology.”
The partnership originally began back in 2016 with the installation of some sample Tannoy column loudspeakers and custom bracketry. This quickly evolved into a comprehensive AV transformation, including a speech reinforcement system, advanced video solutions and an organist’s video relay, later transitioning the system to be used for livestreaming of Sunday services to a dedicated YouTube channel. Today, Whitwam AVI is responsible for maintaining a technical ecosystem that supports St. Giles’ daily activities, both in-person and remotely via the Demotz RMM system.
The core AV system at the Cathedral includes a Sennheiser wireless microphone system, a comprehensive network of Panasonic and Marshall cameras for streaming of worship and recording for security, along with the 47 Tannoy column loudspeakers. The system is powered and managed from equipment in custom racks, whilst Apple iPad touchscreens enable easy day-to-day user control of the Crestron-based system to support live services, streaming and recordings with the accuracy and professionalism that the environment demands.
“St. Giles has a customised maintenance contract in place, with training for their users on the systems included in this,” continues Baker. “Their SLA covers remote monitoring and a 72-hour response guarantee, alongside the crucial preventative maintenance visits. Maintaining a system of this scale and importance takes more than just technical skill; it takes trust, familiarity and an eye for detail. We’re proud to continue supporting St. Giles’ and to be able to help organisations get the most out of their investments over the long term.”
