Memorial benches

The individual = person purchasing a bench (and if applicable, a plaque)

The Trust = Dorset Wildlife Trust

1. There are a limited number of benches available at certain nature reserves. When the individual contacts the Trust to register their interest, the Trust will get in touch to discuss the wishes of the individual to ascertain if a suitable location is available. If no suitable location is identified, the Trust will offer to contact the individual at a later date should a suitable opportunity arise.
2. There are two bench designs available to choose from – a simple sleeper bench, or a bench with back and arm rests. The desired location of the bench will determine the most suitable style, to ensure that any bench put in place is in keeping with the surrounding natural landscape. The style, supplier and location of the bench are solely the decisions of the Trust.
3. The costs of a bench are as follows: sleeper bench = £1,750; bench with back and arm rests = £3,000. These costs include delivery and installation of the bench, as well as general maintenance and minor repairs as required for the expected lifetime of the bench (10 years maximum).
4. For benches installed on Brownsea Island, there is an additional delivery charge of £180 which covers the cost of barge hire to transport the bench to the island.
5. Should major repairs be required to the bench, the Trust will contact the individual to inform them. The individual must not carry out any maintenance or repairs to the bench for themself but must report any perceived issues to the Trust.
6. Enquiries and orders will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis.
7. If the individual is happy to go ahead with the bench order, the Trust will supply the individual with an Agreement Form which must be completed and returned to The Trust.
8. Along with the completed Agreement Form, a non-refundable deposit of 50% of the total cost must be paid via cheque or BACS payment. This allows the Trust to then place the order for the bench with the supplier.
9. A bench will normally take 12 weeks to be installed following order confirmation but can take longer depending on demand. The Trust will notify the individual once installation is complete. The remaining balance must then be paid in full via cheque or BACS payment.
10. Benches are handcrafted from locally sourced, certified PEFC oak timber.
11. Installation of the bench will be carried out by the Trust, their contractors or the bench supplier.
12. Where interest is registered via the ‘Memorial benches’ webpage, the Trust aims to contact the individual within 3-5 working days to discuss their wishes.
13. When completing the Agreement Form, the individual will have the opportunity to request that a plaque be affixed to the bench, engraved with wording of their choice. The cost of a plaque is in addition to the cost of the bench.
14. The cost of a plaque is £100. This is for a brass plaque, measuring 100mm x 50mm. A maximum of 45 characters (including spaces) can be engraved on the plaque. Messages will be centred and sized within the dimensions of the plaque.
15. Full payment of £100 must be made for the plaque via cheque or BACS payment, alongside the return of the completed Agreement Form.
16.  If the individual chooses not to request a plaque at the time of the bench order, they may contact the Trust at a later date to discuss the feasibility of adding a plaque. The cost of this is currently £100 but please note that this may be increased in future years.
17. The Trust reserves the right to approve all lettering for the plaques and to refuse any order. In such cases, the Trust will cite the reason for the refusal and will provide a full refund should payment have been received.
18. Any amendments to the inscription provided on the Agreement Form must be notified to the Trust by email to fundraising@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk within seven days of the receipt of confirmation. Amendments notified within this deadline will be free of charge. No amendment to the inscription can be made after this deadline.
19. Due to the plaques being personalised, the individual has no right to cancellation in respect of the order. No refunds will be given by the Trust once the order has been placed, save in respect of clause 17 above.
20. At the end of the lifetime of the bench, the individual will have the opportunity for the plaque to be sent to them to keep. The Trust will contact the individual to discuss this. 
21. Should the individual wish to have their plaque returned to them as per clause 20 above, a charge of £5 will be payable in advance to cover postage costs. Alternatively, the individual may request to collect the plaque from the Trust headquarters at no charge.
22. The Trust will assume that the address for the return of the plaque is as provided when making the original payment, unless the individual notifies the Trust otherwise.
23. Although of excellent quality and designed to last, the individual acknowledges by placing the order, that plaques may become worn or damaged over time owing to natural causes. No liability will be accepted for this by the Trust. The Trust shall not be responsible or liable for cleaning of the plaques.
24. All benches and plaques remain the sole property of the Trust for the lifetime of the bench/plaque.
25. The individual acknowledges that Dorset Wildlife Trust nature reserves are open to the general public and the Trust accepts no liability for damage, loss, vandalism, or theft of any bench/plaque.
26. Our nature reserves are sensitive habitats for wildlife. The Trust therefore requests that no floral, or other physical tributes, are left at any time. Any type of physical tribute left will be removed.
27. Due to special events, essential repairs and renovations, it may not always be possible to view or access a particular bench.
28. The individual’s contact details will be kept on a secure database, in accordance with the Trust’s data retention policy.
29. By accepting these terms, the individual confirms that they have read the Trust’s privacy policy and the individual consents to the Trust using personal information collected about the individual in accordance with this policy.
30. The Trust will not be liable or responsible for any failure to perform, or delay in performance of, any of its obligations under these terms or for any damage or loss to any leaf/bird/plaque that is caused by an event outside its control. An event outside its control means any act or event beyond the Trust’s reasonable control, including without limitation strikes, lock-outs or other industrial action by third parties, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack, war (whether declared or not) or threat or preparation for war, fire, explosion, storm, flood, earthquake, subsidence, epidemic or other natural disaster, or failure of public or private telecommunications networks.