Course and Events Bookings Terms and Conditions

This document sets out the principal terms and conditions that will form an essential part of the agreement between Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT) and you in attending a course or event with us. We reserve the right to terminate an attendee’s participation in the event the attendee violates the agreement set out in this document.

A booking constitutes your purchase of a course in accordance with these Terms. Once your booking has been made, a legally binding contract will come into force (comprising these Terms and your email booking confirmation and payment).

When booking, it is your responsibility to ensure we have the correct contact details, including emergency contacts (if applicable), and any relevant medical information. It is your responsibility to check the details on the booking confirmation once you receive it.

We reserve the right, in our sole and absolute discretion and without the need to give a reason, to refuse a booking.

Course event booking terms and conditions may 2023.pdf V.2

1. Payment

Your booking is confirmed upon receipt of payment.

2. Course/Event cancellations 

2.1 One Day Courses / Events

Courses and events costing under £100 are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend the course, you may be able to move to the same course on an alternative date subject to availability. Section 2.3 outlines the cancellation fees for courses costing more than £100. If you are unable to attend and would like to offer your place to a friend or family member, please ensure they inform the tutor on arrival so emergency contact details can be taken before the course commences.

2.2 Block Courses

Courses and events costing under £100 are non-refundable. Refunds will not be provided for any dates in a block of pre-paid courses where you only attended part of the course.

If you are unable to attend part of the course we regret we are unable to transfer your place to a course at a later date. Section 2.3 outlines the cancellation fees for courses costing more than £100. If you are unable to attend and would like to offer your place to a friend or family member please ensure they inform the tutor on arrival so emergency contact details can be taken before the course commences.

2.3 Cancellation Fees

Should you wish to cancel your course/event you must let us know in advance by email. A cancellation fee will be charged as follows for courses over £100:

• Cancellation more than 90 days before the course start date = full refund
• Cancellation between 15-90 days before the course start date = 50% of total booking cost
• Cancellation less than 14 days before the course start date = 100% of total booking cost

In the event that SWT cancels the course or event more than 48 hours before the planned start time, we will contact you via email. Please ensure that your contact details that we hold for you are up to date and that you check your email, including the junk folder, before the course. If the course is cancelled less than 48 hours before the start time we will call you. If SWT cancels a course we will offer you an alternative course or event date. If you are unable to attend an alternative date then a full refund will be made. Refunds will be made within 28 business days.

We will not be liable to pay any compensation or incidental costs for expenses that you may incur because of such cancellation or for any loss or damage caused as a result of such cancellation.

3. Adult Learning Courses

Participants under the age of 14 are not permitted. Participants aged 14 – 17 must be accompanied by an adult over the age of 18. No more than two 14 – 17 year olds may attend with each adult. Accompanying adults and participants aged 14 – 17 are required to hold a valid booking. Participants aged 14 - 17 are charged at the same rate as adults.

4. Family Events

For family events all children must be accompanied by an adult over the age of 18. Adults can only book family events if they are accompanied by children under the age of 12. Family events are suitable for children aged between 5 and 12; accompanying younger siblings are free, unless otherwise stated.

5. Dogs

Please note that dogs are not allowed at events and courses unless stated otherwise.

6. Weather

Leaders will always be present at the start of each outdoor event. If the weather is poor, they will decide on the day whether to proceed. Please wear suitable clothing and footwear for the weather and time of year and ensure adequate protection against the sun.

7. Health and safety

The Trust is committed to looking after the health, safety, and wellbeing of everyone who participates in our training courses and events.

We endeavour to take suitable and sufficient steps to mitigate the potential of harm during our activities, but all activities present an element of measured risk. Your course or event tutor will have undertaken risk assessments for the site and the specific activities planned. They will also complete a daily risk assessment on the morning of each day. Course tutors will be First Aid trained and will issue safety instructions which we expect all participants to follow. Some of our courses or events may involve using tools and your tutor will provide you with the skills to use tools safely. Misuse of these tools or equipment may lead to injury for which SWT cannot be held responsible.

It is important to understand that our activities present an element of measured risk. It is a fundamental term of booking that you acknowledge and accept the risks and hazards that may be involved in the activities conducted by SWT.

8. Additional needs

We aim to put equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of what we do and believe in creating an environment where difference is valued and everyone can be themselves. Please discuss any additional needs with us before making a booking so we can support you appropriately. This may include medical conditions, neurodiversity or other learning differences and mobility restrictions. Please note that some of our events and courses take place in outdoor locations which are not always suitable for people with restricted mobility.

If you have any special dietary requirements or allergies, you must inform us before the commencement of your course or event. Please bring any medication with you and make the course or event leader aware.

9. Insurance

SWT has Public Liability Insurance to the value of £10 million.

Nothing in these Terms shall limit or exclude our liability for:

a) death or personal injury caused by our negligence; or

b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or

c) any breach of the obligations implied by section 12 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 or section 2 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, or

d) losses for which it is prohibited by section 7 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 to limit liability; or

e) any other matter for which it would be illegal or unlawful for us to exclude or attempt to exclude our liability.

f) We shall not be liable to you, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, for any loss of profit, or any indirect or consequential loss arising out of or in connection with the provision of, or failure to provide, an event/activity; and

g) our total liability to you in respect of all other losses arising out of or in connection with the provision of, or failure to provide, an event/activity, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, shall not exceed the price paid by you for the event/programme.

Except as set out in these Terms, all warranties, conditions and other terms implied by statue or common law are, to the fullest extent permitted by law, excluded from these Terms.

This clause shall survive termination of any Contract and the completion of any event/activity.

10. Behaviour

Our staff are committed to providing a professional service to our attendees. In return, we expect our attendees to behave appropriately at all times.

We will not tolerate the use of bad language, intimidating or threatening behaviour either towards our staff or other attendees. Should an incident arise where there is cause for concern over the behaviour or attitude of an attendee, we reserve the right to terminate your booking immediately, there will be no recourse for refund or rebooking under these circumstances.

Any behaviour which could constitute discrimination or harassment on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender reassignment, race, religion, disability or age of any trainee or member of staff will result in immediate termination of your enrolment, there will be no recourse for refund or rebooking under these circumstances.

As part of our Dignity at Work Policy, Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT) will not tolerate bullying, harassment or victimisation of any kind, whether this is physical, sexual or verbal abuse, regardless of position or status within SWT or whether the conduct is a one-off act or a repeated course of conduct, and whether done purposefully or not. Neither will we tolerate retaliation against, or victimisation of, any person involved in bringing a complaint of harassment, sexual harassment or bullying.

11. Feedback

Your tutors will endeavour to provide the best learning experience for you to qualify. We will take a professional approach to our teaching, being well prepared, reliable and using a variety of methods. We will do our utmost to support you in completing the course, ensuring good communication and respecting individual needs.

We encourage all participants to give us feedback about their experiences. Feedback can be given verbally, in person, by telephone, or in writing by emailing [email protected].

12. Complaints and appeals

We are committed to giving a high-quality service. Despite this commitment sometimes things will go wrong. When this happens we want to know about it, and to put things right where we can.

Our complaints procedure can be found here.

13. Force majeure

For the purposes of these Terms, a Force Majeure Event includes any act, event, non-occurrence, omission or accident beyond our reasonable control and includes, without limitation, the following:

a) strikes, lock-outs, boycott or other industrial action (whether involving our workforce or any other party);

b) civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack, war (whether declared or not) or threat or preparation for war;

c) act of God (including, without limitation, fire, tempest, storm, flood, earthquake, subsidence, epidemic, or other natural disaster);

d) failure in the provision of any utility, including power, gas, water, or communication services;

e) malicious damage or sabotage;

f) compliance with any law or governmental order, rule, regulation, sanction, embargo or direction;

g) breakdown, cancellation or failure of machinery or transportation (including, without limitation railways, shipping, aircraft, motor transport or other means of public or private transport); or

h) default of suppliers or subcontractors.

We will not be liable to you as a result of any delay or failure to perform our obligations under these Terms as a result of a Force Majeure event. If the Force Majeure Event prevents us from commencing or completing the event/activity as planned we shall, without limiting our other rights or remedies, in the sole discretion of the event/activity leader either:

(i) seek an alternative means of meeting the event/activity objectives in the time available, provided the event/activity leader determines that it is reasonable and safe to do so (including, without limitation, achieving the objectives of the event/activity at a different location or by following a different itinerary or route); or

(ii) Cancel the event/activity immediately.

14. Variation of conditions

SWT reserves the right to vary its booking Terms and Conditions from time to time as deemed necessary. Bookings will be subject to those conditions prevailing at the time of booking.

15. Governing law and jurisdiction

These Terms and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and each party agrees to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.