Donated benches in parks

The Royal Borough operates a scheme for donating a bench to a park in memory of a loved one or to commemorate an event or anniversary.

Benches donated to the Council’s parks become the property of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. 

Availability and waiting lists

There is limited availability for benches in parks. Bench donations are accepted on a first come first served basis until there is no space left.

The decision about availability sits with the Royal Borough and we reserve the right to refuse applications on this basis. In the event that a park is no longer able to accept a new bench, a waiting list will be established and future available space offered to the waiting list in the order that they enquired.

Waiting lists are subject to closure if the Royal Borough decides the list is too long.

Cost

The cost of a bench is £1180. This is a fixed price which includes delivery and installation.

The inscription/ plaque is charged separately as this is a variable cost based on the number of characters/ rails to be inscribed.

The bench is maintained by the Council.

The order for the bench will not be placed until full payment is received.

Style of bench

The style of bench is predetermined for each park. To ensure consistency we are unable to accept alternative styles.

The style of bench is subject to change.

Inscriptions

Inscriptions are engraved on to benches at the time of manufacture, inscription character limits will be provided at the time of enquiry. Inscriptions that may be considered offensive are not permitted.

Some park bench styles are unable to be engraved, where this is the case, a plaque will be offered. The size and style of the plaques is fixed and cannot be changed.

Location

The location of the bench within the park will be determined by the space available at the time. Where possible, we will try to facilitate specific location requests, but this is not guaranteed and we reserve the right to determine where the bench is ultimately placed.

Benches may be moved temporarily or permanently at any time to support events or other works in the park. 
Benches may sometimes be removed for repair and maintenance and then returned to their original location.

If you are intending to donate a memorial bench to one of the Council’s cemeteries you should be aware that you may not be permitted to place the bench immediately adjacent to the grave or graves for which you have a right to bury if this is liable to cause an obstruction to other grave owners. Also, if there is another interment adjacent to the grave or graves the bench may need to be moved to allow for the interment.

To apply for a bench in Gunnersbury Cemetery please contact: [email protected] .

Maintenance

Benches are maintained by the Council including, cleaning, painting/varnishing every three years and minor repairs as needed (replacement slats and fixings).

Removal

The estimated lifespan of the park benches is 15-20 years; however this is not guaranteed.

Once a bench is beyond economical repair or unsafe, it will be removed. The donor will be contacted and offered the engraved rails or plaque. The inscribed rails will be held for a maximum of 6 months and then disposed of if not collected.

It is the responsibility of the donor to ensure we have their correct contact details.

Replacement benches

Once a bench has been removed then there is no automatic right to renewal and the space will be offered up to a new donor. If the donor wishes to purchase a new bench, then this will be treated as a new request and they will be placed on the waiting list (if applicable at the time).

While every effort is made to secure and maintain donated benches, we are unable to replace benches that are stolen or vandalised beyond repair.

How to apply

Please send your request to [email protected]. Please provide us with your contact details including, full name, address, email address and a mobile number. If you have a preferred location that you would like to place your bench please let us know and we will get back to you within 10 working days.