{"product_id":"friendship-bench-solid-oak","title":"Friendship Bench — Carved Oak School Bench","description":"\u003cp\u003eA hand-carved oak friendship bench for school playgrounds and gardens — built on the simple, powerful idea that any child who needs a friend can sit here, and someone will come.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe friendship bench concept became part of school culture because it makes inclusion visible. It gives children a language — not a conversation they have to start, but a place they can simply be. These benches are commissioned most often by schools, PTAs and parents who want something the children will feel belongs to them: not a flat board on posts, but something carved and particular. The design — flowers, animals, story characters, a school motto — is worked out with the school, and the inscription comes as part of it. Each bench is different because each school is different.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePrices include VAT.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSolid oak throughout\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBespoke hand-carved design — animals, flowers, story characters or your chosen theme\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePersonalised inscription included — a school motto, a named dedication, or whatever fits\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChoose your finish\u003c\/strong\u003e — supplied unvarnished as standard, or add three coats of Epifanes yacht varnish for lasting colour and sheen (+£50)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo-seater, 120cm wide\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdeal for school gardens, playgrounds and storytelling spaces\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandmade in Mid Wales\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDimensions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eW120 × D60 × H130cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeat height approx 45cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eYour Version\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe design is worked out with you — tell us the theme, the inscription and any specific carving requests. Schools can order on a purchase order; we’ll invoice once confirmed. Typical lead time is 4–5 weeks, though we can often accommodate end-of-term deadlines. \u003ca href=\"\/en-fr\/pages\/contact\" style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eGet in touch to talk through your ideas.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFinish\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis piece is supplied \u003cstrong\u003eunvarnished\u003c\/strong\u003e as standard. Left natural, solid oak slowly weathers to a soft, silvery-grey — completely normal for outdoor timber, a graceful way for a piece to age, and with \u003cstrong\u003eno maintenance needed\u003c\/strong\u003e. If you’d prefer to bring out the grain and warm, honeyed tones, choose the \u003cstrong\u003evarnished\u003c\/strong\u003e option (+£50) and we’ll hand-apply three coats of Epifanes, a premium marine yacht varnish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary style=\"cursor:pointer; font-weight:bold;\"\u003eMore about the two finishes\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin-top:8px;\"\u003eOutdoor furniture takes a real beating from sun and weather. Left natural, an unvarnished piece simply silvers over time and asks nothing of you. A varnished piece keeps its rich sheen for a couple of years; after that the varnish may begin to flake or patch, at which point you can simply re-coat it, or let it weather back to that natural silvery-grey. Either way, your oak is fine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e","brand":"FreeRangeDesigns","offers":[{"title":"Unvarnished","offer_id":53500188459383,"sku":"FRD-OTH-WD-1092","price":2090.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"Varnished (+£50)","offer_id":57213731930487,"sku":"FRD-OTH-WD-1092","price":2167.14,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0267\/7673\/1729\/files\/friendship-bench-cosy-2-seater-5559966.jpg?v=1759411994","url":"https:\/\/freerangingdesigns.com\/en-fr\/products\/friendship-bench-solid-oak","provider":"FreeRangeDesigns","version":"1.0","type":"link"}