These Booking Terms & Conditions, together with our Privacy Policy, Consent Form, and any other written information we brought to your attention before we confirmed your booking, form the basis of your contract with Give a Fig Volunteering, Co. No. 10093433, Registered Office: 6 Westmoreland Street, Harrogate HG1 5AT (“we”, “GAFV” or “us”). Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. In these Booking Terms & Conditions, references to "you" and "your" include the first named person on the booking and all persons on whose behalf a booking is made or any other person to whom a booking is added or transferred.

By making a booking, you agree that:

• You have read these Booking Terms & Conditions and agree to be bound by them.

• You consent to our use of information in accordance with our Privacy Policy;

• You are over 18 years of age and where placing an order for services with age restrictions declare that you are of the appropriate age to purchase those services;

• If you are under 18 years of age at time of booking, your parent/guardian has signed the Consent Form and confirmed that you will be 18, or in the case of enrolled members of school groups or recognised youth groups, are at least 16 on the day your placement with us on the Project Placement or Tour or Course begins.

• You are made aware that for the mutual benefit of both volunteers and host organisations, certain project partners wish the Participants that we place with them to have a certain level of English to fulfil the requirements of the project partnerships GAFV have with them. For English language teaching projects, medical projects, projects that include university seminars, and NGO internships, participants should be at B2 of the CEFR. For other projects, such as agricultural projects, wildlife projects, construction projects, holiday clubs, less formal English language teaching projects, other language teaching projects (such as German) Level B1 CEFR is sufficient. (See this comparison chart for language fluency as a guide comparing-ielts-and-cefr.ashx , and CEFR to IELTS Score Comparison (collegedunia.com) )  If you are not using English at B2, then not all of our projects will be open to you. Alternatively, you could volunteer with someone who speaks your first language, as well as English at B2+.

• Group Applicants whose first or native language is not English and are applying for projects that do not require native or first language English speakers, must include one or more members who have attained an overall IELTS band score of 6 (with the highest 2 band scores being in Speaking, and Listening) or equivalent in the past 2 years and who will agree, contractually, to act as interpreters for your group; or your group will, at its own expense, provide, or pay for an interpreter provided by us, able to interpret into and from English into the group’s language, who will remain with your group during your placement on the Project.

• All Volunteers over 18 years of age will be required to provide an up-to-date Criminal Record Check, and where practically possible, one from each country you have lived in for longer than 12 months since the age of 18.

1. Booking and Paying for your chosen Project

To begin your application you should first complete the form on our ‘Enquire Today’ page on our website, indicating your first choice Project as well as an alternative, in case your first choice is unavailable or otherwise unsuitable. We shall contact you following receipt of your enquiry and offer you the opportunity to discuss the projects with us. You may request more information at this point and further discussions with one of our representatives. Those making a group booking, or wishing to make a group booking, will also be contacted on receipt of your initial enquiry to arrange an online discussion with one of our Booking Team.

Based on all of the available information regarding the countries we work with, and your expectations, and experience and qualifications we may recommend other projects to you, and in some circumstances, due to limitations on travel or support, other countries to you other than those in your initial enquiry. Some English language project placements in some countries, will require you to have a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate of 40, or 120, or 250 hours, which you will need to complete prior to joining, or, if part of one of our Training Programmes, will complete it whilst on placement. For individuals wishing to teach English or another language, for more than 4 weeks then some formal recognition, at least a 40 hour TEFL course at your own expense, will need to be completed prior to joining us. Proof of completion is necessary before assignment to government schools in some countries. Where TEFL Certification is required, that information is written on the project information on our website, as well as in the Project Manual that is an addendum to the website, that will be sent to you. Links to a recommended TEFL course provider may be found on our website

Once initial discussions are complete, and you wish to go ahead with joining our projects, a ‘Booking Application Form’ will be emailed to you, included on which is a Consent Form for those under 18 on application, as well as guidelines on obtaining a police check, which differs between countries. Each form necessary for your application should be emailed back to us duly completed and signed as a PDF document, each PDF named according to the emailed accompanying information.

If we consider your Booking Application Form to be incomplete, we will ask you for further information, to clarify any points of the information provided.

It is to be noted that we reserve the right to reject your application at our sole discretion.

On our receipt of your completed Booking Application Form, and references from one or two people (depending on the project) who know you in a professional capacity (teacher, college lecturer, employer, line manager, but not friend or family member), and acceptance of you or your group onto our projects, we will issue to you a Project Placement Confirmation in writing by email, with an accompanying invoice for the project placement.

If you believe that any details on the Project Placement Confirmation letter, invoice, or any other document sent to you are wrong, you must advise us immediately as changes cannot be made later and it may harm your rights if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in any document within ten days of our issuance of your Project Placement Confirmation.

You will return to us within 7 working days of receipt of the Project Placement Confirmation a £250 deposit per person (for projects priced at £999 or less), or £500 Deposit per person (for projects priced at £1,000 or more per person). Once your funds to us have cleared in our account, a binding contract will then come into existence between you and us. The balance of the full cost of the Project will then become payable as follows:

a)    The balance for Projects with a Booking Deposit of £250 will be due within 14 days of the issuance of the Project Placement Confirmation

b)    The balance for Projects with a booking deposit of £500 will be due within 14 days of the issuance of the Project Placement confirmation

All payments for bookings made within 12 weeks of the Project Placement start date must be made in full within 7 days of our issuance of your Project Placement Confirmation.

Please Note: You must accurately certify your age on the Booking Application Form and we will accept your certification in good faith. We reserve the right to cancel your application or terminate your Project Placement, if it has already begun, without any refund of any of the Project monies paid at that point, in the event we discover that such certification has been falsely or inaccurately provided by you.

If you, the Applicant, are less than 18 years old on signing the Consent Form, your parent or guardian will be required to countersign the Consent Form thereby accepting the Booking Conditions.

2.             Briefing and Placement Courses

All individual and Group participants are invited to complete a ‘Briefing and Placement Course’ or online interview, or such other method as determined by us

3.             Accuraccy

We endeavour to ensure that all of the information and prices both on our website and in our promotional material are accurate; occasionally, however, changes and errors occur, and we reserve the right to correct and change prices and other details in such circumstances. You must check the current price and all other details relating to the arrangements that you wish to book before your booking is confirmed.

4.             Insurance

It is a condition of our contract with you that you obtain a comprehensive insurance policy (or policies) to cover all risks normally considered as associated with taking part in your chosen Placement. You must be satisfied that your insurance fully covers all of your personal requirements including cancellation charges, medical expenses and repatriation in the event of accident or illness. The cover must also include any insurance expected by the host country, for example, to cover hospitalisation under Covid. The policy must cover the entire duration of your trip and must cover manual, conservation, and volunteer work where applicable. We cannot be held responsible for any losses which you incur if your insurance fails to provide you with adequate cover.

You must provide us with proof of valid and adequate personal travel insurance cover in respect of your Project Placement no less than 14 days prior to your start on your project placement. We will not check the suitability of your chosen policy and it remains your responsibility at all times to ensure that any policy(ies) which you purchase are suitable and provide the necessary cover required in this Clause 4. Should you fail to provide such proof of insurance to us in accordance with this clause then we reserve the right to treat your Project Placement as cancelled by you in which case the cancellation charges set out in Clause 10 below will become payable.

5.             Your Obligations

By participating in a GAFV Project the Participant accepts that he/she will be subject to various physical and emotional demands. Participants are aware and accept that the standard of living, including food, hygiene, and accommodation in some countries in which we offer projects, may be below the general standards of their own country

The Participant must submit any required documents no less than 42 days (6 weeks) before the commencement of the Project the Participant is registered on (including, but not limited to: flight arrival and departure details, insurance information, passport details, next of kin or emergency contact details, and medical forms, references, TESOL completion or pass certificates, DBS certificates and their equivalent from countries other than the UK)

Each project placement requires one or more police checks, issued by relevant authorities irrespective of whether or not applicants will be knowingly working with children or vulnerable adults on a GAFV Project. These checks are to be from the country the applicant holds a passport for, as well as from each country in which they have lived or worked for longer than 12 months since the age of 18. It is the applicant’s responsibility to obtain the criminal record checks from the relevant issuing authorities which must be sent to us no less than 42 days before the start of your Project Placement.

Failure to submit the required information may result in the cancellation of the Project Placement Confirmation at the sole discretion of GAFV without any refund.

A criminal record clearance that is submitted and records cautions or convictions will not automatically affect your application, although where national authorities request these documents as part of a visa application, they may. However, criminal record checks that highlight offences against children or vulnerable adults, or preclude you from working with children or vulnerable adults will result in the cancellation of your Project Placement Confirmation, in which circumstances the cancellation charges as set out below in Clause 10 will apply. Should the criminal record clearance record theft, fraud, or violence against the person within the last 10 years, this may result in the cancellation of your Project Placement Confirmation.  At the time of submitting your Booking Application Form you are advised to make clear information relevant to any record of convictions or cautions on a criminal record clearance certificates that you may be aware of. At the discretion of the directors of GAFV the information you provide may be considered by them to constitute mitigating circumstances, which may result in your continued acceptance on a GAFV Project. Should it be deemed necessary by GAFV, we will request an online  interview with you regarding information on any Criminal Record certificate, prior to upholding confirmation of any Project Placement decision

A complete list of required Project Placement documents will be provided to you with your Project Placement Confirmation, (and is available on our website for your attention prior to your booking)

Given the conservative nature of most of the societies in which our projects take place, whilst at your placement taking part in the project, you must adhere to an agreed dress code. For the avoidance of doubt, this will include wearing ankle length trousers, or skirts for girls (sarongs for males are not regarded as professional dress), and Give A Fig Volunteering tee shirts bearing our brand and logo, or an alternative polo style or dress shirt. You will be required to cover all visible tattoos (which may be done through tube bandages on the arms), wear no, or just one earing in each ear, fill enlarged holes in earlobes with flesh-coloured plugs, and a maximum of one nose stud (not ring) may be worn. All other facial piercings must be removed. If you are working in a professional setting such as schools, or hospitals, you must also ensure that your hair, if dyed, is dyed in natural tones.

6.             Pricing

The price of your chosen placement has been calculated using historical exchange rates in relation to the following currencies: GBP Sterling and USD $

We reserve the right to amend the price of unsold placements at any time and correct errors in the prices of confirmed placements.

Until the full balance of the Placement is paid by you, the price of your Placement is subject at all times to variations in:

i.            transportation costs, including the cost of fuel; or

ii.           cost changes arising from government action such as changes in VAT or any other government imposed changes; or

iii.          the exchange rates used to calculate your programme.

We will absorb and you will not be charged for any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your chosen Placement, which excludes any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements. You will be charged for the amount over and above that, plus an administration charge of £1.00 per person. If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% of the price of your confirmed Project Placement (excluding any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements), you will have the option of accepting a change to another programme if we are able to offer one or cancelling and receiving a full refund of all monies paid to us, except for any insurance premiums and any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements.

Should you decide to cancel for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so within 14 days from the date we advised you of the price increase. There will be no change made to the price of your confirmed project placement within 7 days of your departure nor will refunds be paid during this period.

Should the price of your Project Placement go down due to the changes mentioned above, by more than 2% of your confirmed Project Placement cost, then any refund due will be paid to you. However, please note that arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your programme due to contractual and other protection in place.

7.             Costs and Charges

Subject to any special terms agreed, you must pay the charges for the project placement as published on our website or detailed on your Project Placement Confirmation. Please note that costs shown within any printed material are subject to change and as such all final payments shall be displayed on our website. The published prices on our website are valid for 30 days only and you are advised to check the site regularly for the most recent prices and up to date information. Once we have confirmed your booking and you have paid the deposit, you shall pay the remaining balance, as detailed on your Project Placement Confirmation.

The £250, or £500 (as applicable depending upon the Project booked) Booking Deposit becomes non-refundable on issuance of the Project Placement Confirmation.

The remainder of the Project price for Projects with a Booking Deposit of £250 or £500 is due within 7 days respectively of issuance of the Project Placement Confirmation.

Non-refundable deposits are:

·         £250 for Volunteering Projects up to 28 days, or costing under £999.00

·         £500 for all Volunteering and Internships Projects costing £1,000 or more, or which are for a duration of 29 days or more - unless otherwise agreed between us in writing

For Project Placements lasting 29 days or more, the non-refundable deposit is £500 irrespective of the total cost or duration of the Project. This reflects the costs that we incur in arranging such Projects, from the placing of your provisional booking.

For Projects with a deposit of £250, the remainder of the balance is due no later than 14 days after the issuance of the Project Placement Confirmation Letter.

For Projects with a deposit of £500, the remainder of the balance will be due 14 days (2 weeks) after the issuance of the Project Placement Conformation letter confirming your Placement has been sent.

If, for any reason, you do not meet the above payment deadlines, then we reserve the right to cancel your booking without any refund.

8.             Cutting Your Placement Short

If you are forced to return home early, we cannot refund the cost of any services you have not used. If you cut short your Project Placement and return home early in circumstances where you have no reasonable cause for complaint about the standard of accommodation and services provided, we will not offer you any refund for that part of your Project Placement not completed, or be liable for any associated costs you may incur. Depending on the circumstances, your travel insurance may offer cover for curtailment and we suggest that any claim is made directly with them.

9.             Changes by You

If you wish to change any part of your chosen Project Placement after issuance of our Project Placement Confirmation, you must inform us in writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will do our best to assist, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your requested change. Where we can meet a request, all changes will be subject to payment of an administration fee of £100.00 per person per change as well as any applicable rate changes or extra costs incurred as well as any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. You should be aware that these costs could increase the closer to the Project start date that changes are made and so you should contact us regarding any changes as soon as possible. Where we are unable to assist you and you do not wish to proceed with the original booking we will treat this as a cancellation by you. A cancellation fee may be payable, see Clause 10 below. An administration fee of £150.00 will be charged, details available upon request.

Please Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended after they have been confirmed and any alteration could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements.

10.          If You Cancel

You are free to cancel your chosen Project Placement at any time, if you do decide to cancel your confirmed programme you must notify us in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only take effect when it is received in writing by us at our offices or via e-mail at enquiries@giveafigvolunteering.com (please ensure that the subject header of your e-mail reads ‘Notice of Cancellation’) and will be effective from the date on which we receive it. Since substantial expenses are incurred by us in arranging the provision of your Placement, once a booking is placed, and since we also we incur costs in cancelling your Placement, you will have to pay the applicable cancellation charges up to the maximum shown in the table below (the cancellation charge detailed is calculated on the basis of the total cost payable by the person cancelling, excluding amendment charges which are not refundable in the event of the person to whom they apply cancelling).

Period before departure within which notice of Cancellation by you is received

Amount of cancellation charge

301 days or more: loss of deposit only

241 - 300 days: 50% of Project Placement

181 - 240 days: 60% of Project Placement cost

121 – 180 days: 80% of Project Placement cost

Less than 120 days": 100% of Project Placement cost

Please Note: certain arrangements may not be amended after they have been confirmed and any alteration or cancellation could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements, in addition to the charge above.

If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges. We will deduct the cancellation charges from any monies you have already paid to us.

Cancellation by You due to Unavoidable & Extraordinary Circumstances:

You have the right to cancel your confirmed arrangements before departure without paying a cancellation charge in the event of “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” occurring at your destination or its immediate vicinity and significantly affecting the performance of the arrangements or significantly affecting the transport arrangements to the destination. In these circumstances, we shall provide you with a full refund of the monies you have paid, but we will not be liable to pay you any additional compensation. Please note that your right to cancel in these circumstances will only apply where the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against travel to your destination or its immediate vicinity. For the purposes of this clause, “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” means warfare, acts of terrorism, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely to the travel destination.

This clause 8 outlines the rights you have if you wish to cancel your booking. Please note that there is no automatic statutory right of cancellation under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

11.          If We Change or Cancel

It is unlikely that we will have to make any changes to your Project Placement. Occasionally we may have to make changes and we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most of these changes will be minor and we will advise you of them at the earliest possible date. We also reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your Project Placement. For example, if the minimum number of Participants required for a particular Project Placement is not reached, we may have to cancel it. If a minimum number of Participants is required, this will be clearly stated on the Project information on the website. However, we will not cancel your travel arrangements less than 56 days before your departure date, except for reasons of force majeure or failure by you to pay the final balance.

Most alterations will be minor and whilst we will do our best to notify you of any changes as soon as reasonably possible if there is time before your departure, we will have no other liability to you. Examples of “minor changes” include the following when made before departure:

-       A change of outward departure time or overall length of your Placement of twelve hours or less.

-       A change of accommodation to another of the same, similar, or better standard.
Occasionally we may have to make a major change to your confirmed Placement. ”Examples of “major changes” include the following, when made before departure;

-       A change of accommodation or geographic area for the whole or a significant part of your time away.

-       A change of accommodation to that of a lower standard or classification for the whole or a significant part of your time away

-       A change of outward departure time or overall length of your arrangements of twelve or more hours.

-       A significant change to your itinerary, missing out one or more destination(s) entirely.

-       A change in the location of the Project or the activities involved in the Project.

If we have to make a major change or cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible and if there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you (for major changes) the choice of:

i         accepting the changed arrangements,

ii        having a refund of all monies paid; or accepting an offer of alternative arrangements of comparable standard from us, if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value).

You must notify us of your choice within 7 days of our offer. If you fail to do so we will assume that you have chosen to accept the change or alternative arrangements.

If we make a major change or cancel, less than 56 days before departure, we will also pay compensation as detailed below:

Period before departure within which notice of Cancellation or major change is notified to you

Compensation payable per person booking

301 days or more: Nil

241 - 300 days: £20

181 - 240 days: £30

121 – 180 days: £40

120 days: £60

The compensation that we offer does not exclude you from claiming more if you are entitled to do so. We will not pay you compensation where we make a major change or cancel more than 56 days before departure or in the event that we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care or if we cancel your arrangements because the minimum number of participants to run the arrangements has not been reached. (We will tell you if we have to cancel for this reason not less than 56 days before departure – where we will offer an alternative Project, or in the case of tours, tours).

The above sets out the maximum extent of our liability for changes and cancellations and we regret we cannot meet any expenses or losses you may incur as a result of change or cancellation. Please note: where accommodation with a higher price than the original accommodation is offered by us and accepted by you, the difference in price will be deducted from any compensation payable. In no case will we pay compensation if accommodation is offered by us and accepted by you with a higher price than that originally booked in the same location where no additional payment is made by you.

We will not pay you compensation and the above options will not be available if we make a minor change or cancel as a result of your failure to make full payment on time or where the change(s) or cancellation by us arises out of alterations to the confirmed booking requested by you.

Very rarely, we may be forced by "force majeure" (see clause 12) to change or terminate your Placement after departure. If this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any from our suppliers), pay you compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.

If we become unable to provide a significant proportion of the services that you have booked with us after you have departed, we will make alternative arrangements for you at no extra charge and, if appropriate in all the circumstances, will pay you reasonable compensation.

12.          Force Majeure

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions we will not be liable or pay you compensation if our contractual obligations to you are affected by any event which we or the supplier(s) of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. These events can include, but are not limited to disease, war, threat of war, civil strife, terrorist activity and its consequences or the threat of such activity, riot, the act of any government or other national or local authority, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster and all similar events outside our, or the supplier(s) control. Advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute Force Majeure.

13.          Health, Disabilities and Medical Problems

You must certify on the Application Form that you are of sufficiently good health to take part in and complete your chosen Project Placement. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions or disabilities which may affect your participation in a Project Placement you must similarly advise us of this fact when completing the Booking Application Form so that we may advise you as to the suitability of your chosen Project Placement. Acting reasonably, if we are unable to properly accommodate your needs we will not confirm your booking or if you did not give us full details at the time of booking, we will cancel it and impose applicable cancellation charges (detailed in Clause 10) when we become aware of these details.

You understand that you are under a duty to inform us at the time of the application of any medication requirements, any allergies and any other physical or mental condition or limitation that might disable or render you unable to perform or safely complete the Project Placement.

You represent and warrant that all information and records provided to us relating to you, your medical history and your medical statement are accurate and truthful and provide us with a clear indication of your state of health. You are the best judge of your own condition and limitations, and you acknowledge that it is incumbent on you to fully disclose the extent of any conditions or limitations.

Depending upon the nature of the Placement which you book with us, you may be required to take certain inoculations or medication prior to your departure. You are required to take detailed advice from your GP or doctor regarding any additional inoculations or medication which may be required, prior to departure. We would strongly recommend that you obtain all required inoculations prior to travelling and we would also strongly recommend you to discuss this Placement, its location, potential risks and physical and mental demands with your personal medical doctor, or GP.

We shall not be held liable for any consequence arising out of your failure to take advice or medication as prescribed by a medical practitioner both prior to departure and during the Placement.

We would also strongly recommend that you refer to the health and general safety advice published by the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office – in order to ensure that you are fully familiar with the health (and other) risks associated with your destination.

14.          Complaints

We make every effort to ensure that your chosen Placement runs smoothly, but if you do have a problem during your Placement, you must inform the Project Leader immediately, as well as writing to GAFV within 48 hours at enquiries@giveafigvolunteering.com , with the Subject Header Project Issue: ‘the specific issue’. Your Project Leader will endeavour to put things right. If the problem cannot be resolved and you wish to complain further, you must send formal written notice of your complaint to us within 14 days of the end of your Placement, giving your booking reference and all other relevant information. Failure to follow the procedure set out in this clause may affect our ability to investigate your complaint, and will affect your rights under this contract.

15.          Your Behaviour

a.     Throughout your chosen Project Placement, you are expected to conduct yourself in an orderly and acceptable manner. If in our opinion, or in the opinion of our Project Partners, or Accommodation Partners, , your behaviour or that of any member of your party is causing or is likely to cause distress, danger or annoyance to any of our other Project Participants, or in the case of any tours, other Tour members, or any third party or damage to property, or to cause a delay or diversion to transportation, we reserve the right to terminate your Project Placement with us, or your place on our Tour, or Course immediately. In the event of such termination our liability to you and/or your party will cease and you and/or your party will be required to leave your accommodation or other service immediately. We will have no further obligations to you and/or your party. No refunds for lost accommodation or any other service will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of termination. You and/or your party may also be required to pay for loss and/or damage caused by your actions and we will hold you and each member of your party jointly and individually liable for any damage or losses caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or losses must be paid directly to the supplier prior to departure from your accommodation. If you fail to make payment, you will be responsible for meeting any claims (including legal costs) subsequently made against us as a result of your actions together with all costs we incur in pursuing any claim against you. We cannot be held responsible for the actions or behaviour of other guests or individuals who have no connection with your booking arrangements or with us.

b.     You agree to comply with all relevant laws, regulations and customs of the countries visited during the Placement. In the event of a contravention of these laws, we or the Project Leader shall have the right to require you to leave the Project Placement and no liability on our part shall arise whatsoever.

c.     You must at all times respect and follow local laws, customs, and culture of the host country and behave in a responsible and courteous manner. You have a duty of care towards other participants, to local people, to host country nationals participating in the Project Placements, and to us. You shall follow the reasonable instructions of the Project Leader during the Project Placement.

d.     As representatives of us within the host country, you must respect our aims and objectives and not wilfully or recklessly seek to damage relations between us, the Project and/or the host country. You must not misrepresent us in any way which would seek to or could undermine or damage relations between us and the host country, or our Project Partners.

e.     You shall at all times respect and follow the health and safety procedures as set out by us, the Project Leader and/or the representative in the host country.

f.      You acknowledge and agree that we reserve the right to contact your first named Emergency Contact and, in their absence, second named Emergency Contact should we deem it necessary.

g.     You agree that at no time during your placement through GAFV, and up to 2 years following your placement with GAFV, will you make private donations to any organisation, society, or individual that you volunteered with or met through volunteering with our third party organisations, either on your behalf or that of third parties, unless it is donations to GAFV who will manage your donation in accordance, as far as possible, with your wishes. This is to safeguard you from harassment for money by the people you have come into contact with whilst volunteering, as well as safeguarding volunteers that come after you for the same, thus ensuring the long-term viability of the projects that we are engaged in. This policy also supports the aims and integrity of the organisations with whom we work, and with whom we have signed agreements, promoting empowerment, cooperation, and sustainability.

16.          Expulsion from the Placement

We reserve the right to deny you from participating in, or otherwise to expel you from the Project Placement, or Tour, or Course if you are in breach of any term of this agreement.

Without prejudice to the generality of the above statement, the following are examples of matters that will result in automatic expulsion

a.     Possession/taking/supplying of illegal or illicit substances. The question of whether the substances are illegal or illicit is to be governed by the jurisdiction of the state where the acts take place;

b.     Displaying cruel, crude, thoughtless or rude behaviour or committing acts which could injure, harass, bully or harm a member of the project placement (including a staff member), or any other person

c.     Disregarding the representative in the host country’s instructions in relation to health and safety;

d.     Committing an act or displaying behaviour which could jeopardise any of our future project partnerships; or negatively affect relations between us and the host communities or country; or jeopardise the continuance of a partnership with a project partner; through e.g.:

having standards of dress deemed inappropriate for the host country, inviting or encouraging non-GAFV project attendees to be at or on the project partners’ property, or in or on the premises used as accommodation that is used for and by GAFV project attendees within the host country, damaging the long term viability of projects through the donation of money, other than through GAFV and without the full awareness of the partners in those countries upon GAFV depends for the issuance of visas.

e.     Failure to adhere to stated dress codes, to wear required uniforms or otherwise acting in such a manner so as to offend local laws, customs or morals.

f.      Committing an act or displaying behaviour which could bring us into disrepute in the host country;

g.     Behaviour determined to be harassing or disruptive to other Project participants, third parties, or our staff or representatives;

h.     Breaking local laws.

Please note this list is not exhaustive.

Expulsion will be carried out by the Project, Tour, or Course Leader - who shall first refer their concerns to the GAFV management team in writing.

Expulsion will be at GAFV’s own discretion and is not subject to appeal.

17.          Our Responsibilities

(1)   We will accept responsibility for the arrangements we agree to provide or arrange for you as an “organiser” under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements 2018 as set out below and as such, we are responsible for the proper provision of the travel services specifically included in your package, as set out in your [confirmation invoice and the information we provided to you regarding the services prior to booking]. Please note that we shall not be responsible for any additional services provided to you, whether provided by the travel service providers or otherwise, which are not set out in your [confirmation invoice and the information we provided to you regarding the services prior to booking].

(2)           We will not be responsible or pay you compensation for any personal injury or death unless you are able to prove that it was caused by our negligence or the negligence of our suppliers.

(3)           We will not be responsible or pay you compensation for any injury, illness, death, loss, damage, expense, cost or other claim of any description if it results from:-

(a)           the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected; or

(b)           the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party unconnected with the provision of the services contracted for and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable; or

(c)           unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond ours or our supplier(s) control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised; or

(d)           an event which either ourselves or suppliers could not, even with all due care, have foreseen or forestalled or is defined as Force Majeure.

(4)           We limit the amount of compensation we may have to pay you if we are found liable under this clause:

(a)           loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions and money,

The maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is an amount equivalent to the excess on your insurance policy which applies to this type of loss per person in total because you are assumed to have adequate insurance in place to cover any losses of this kind

(b)           Claims not falling under (a) above and which don’t involve injury, illness or death

The maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is three times the price paid by you in total. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your booking.

(c)           Claims in respect of international travel by air, sea and rail, or any stay in a hotel

i.       The extent of our liability will in all cases be limited as if we were carriers under the appropriate Conventions, which include The Warsaw/Montreal Convention (international travel by air); The Athens Convention (with respect to sea travel); The Berne/Cotif Convention (with respect to rail travel) and The Paris Convention (with respect to hotel arrangements). In addition, you agree that the operating carrier or transport company's own 'Conditions of Carriage' will apply to you on that journey. When arranging transportation for you, we rely on the terms and conditions contained within these international conventions and those 'Conditions of Carriage'. You acknowledge that all of the terms and conditions contained in those 'Conditions of Carriage' form part of your contract with us, as well as with the transport company and that those 'Conditions of Carriage' shall be deemed to be included by reference into this contract.

ii.      In any circumstances in which a carrier is liable to you by virtue of the Denied Boarding Regulation 2004, any liability we may have to you under our contract with you, arising out of the same facts, is limited to the remedies provided under the Regulation as if (for this purpose only) we were a carrier.

iii.     When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the transport provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question.

(5)           It is a condition of our acceptance of liability under this clause that y ou notify any claim to ourselves and our supplier(s) strictly in accordance with the complaints procedure set out in these conditions.

(6)           Where any payment is made, the person(s) receiving it (and their parent or guardian if under 18 years) must also assign to ourselves or our insurers any rights they may have to pursue any third party and must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require.

(7)           Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss or expense or other sum(s) of any description

(a)           which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you; or

(b)           relate to any business.

(8)           We will not accept responsibility for services or facilities which do not form part of our agreement or where they are not advertised in our advertising material. For example any excursion you book whilst away, or any service or facility which any other supplier agrees to provide for you.

18.          Acceptance of Risk

Your booking is accepted on the understanding that you:

a)            Are aware that, due to the nature of your chosen project placement there are certain dangers and risks inherent in the performance of the Project Placement, some of which may include the possibility of extreme weather, travelling in remote areas, discomfort, disease, proximity or contact with snakes, mosquitos or other venomous animals and poisonous plants, physical exertion, loss of or damage to property, remoteness from normal medical services, civil disturbances and evacuation difficulties if you are injured.

b)           Acknowledge that general standards of health, safety and hygiene in the countries to be visited will not be comparable to UK standards.

c)           Acknowledge it is not possible for us to be responsible for events or the actions or failures of people and organisations over which we have no control and no claim can be made against us in such circumstances. We cannot be held liable or responsible for any delays, accidents, damage, loss, health issues or other issues resulting from the failure of people and organisations other than our own staff.

19.          Photographs and Video

By agreeing to these Booking Terms & Conditions, you consent to our staff taking photographs and/or video footage over the duration of the project placement, and or tour, and that these images and videos may be used by us at our discretion for publicity and promotional purposes including, but not limited to, leaflets, brochures, websites, on social media, and in the media. You also agree that any photos taken by you or of you by others on our projects and passed to us by you or others, or posted on public forums (such as FaceBook or Instagram) may be used for the same.

20.          Passport, Visa and Immigration Requirements and Health Formalities

It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your Project Placement. Whilst we will manage your visa requirements, it is your responsibility to provide the required details to us, in a timely manner, and to communicate with the relevant High Commission or embassy in your home country in order to ensure that the Entry Visa is placed into your passport prior to travel. From a health perspective, you must check requirements for your own specific circumstances with your own doctor as applicable. Requirements do change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure. You should ensure that any visa which you obtain covers the full length of your chosen Project Placement, and does not expire part way through.

We cannot be held responsible for a country’s decision to refuse entry, exit or the right of passage (national and local laws governing immigration). You must ensure that you contact the relevant Sri embassy to acquire the relevant visa to commence the placement. We cannot be held responsible for any country’s decision to refuse a work permit, provisional teacher’s license, visa, visa extension, Entry Visa and, or Residence Visa, or otherwise. We will not refund any monies arising out of such a government, government official, or government agency action or decision related to your travel or sufficiency of your travel documentation.

Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. If your passport is in its final year, you should check with the Embassy of the country you are visiting. UK subjects may obtain further information by contacting the Passport Office. Up to date travel advice can be obtained from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Non-British passport holders, including other EU nationals, should obtain up to date advice on passport and visa requirements from the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of your destination or country(ies) through which you are travelling.

We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.

21.          Conditions of Suppliers

Many of the services which make up your project placement are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions which will form part of your contract with us. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier's liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable International Conventions. Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from ourselves or the supplier concerned.

22.          Delays, Missed Transport Arrangements and other Travel Information

If you or any member of your party misses your flight or other transport arrangement, it is cancelled or you are subject to a delay of over 3 hours for any reason, you must contact us and the airline or other transport supplier concerned immediately.

Under UK Law, you have rights in some circumstances to refunds and/or compensation from the airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation or delay to flights. Full details of these rights will be publicised at UK airports and will also be available from airlines. If the airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the Civil Aviation Authority at www.caa.co.uk/passengers. Reimbursement in such cases is the responsibility of the airline and will not automatically entitle you to a refund of your holiday price from us. If, for any reason, you do not claim against the airline and make a claim for compensation from us, you must, at the time of payment of any compensation to you, make a complete assignment to us of the rights you have against the airline in relation to the claim that gives rise to that compensation payment. A delay or cancellation to your flight does not automatically entitle you to cancel any other arrangements even where those arrangements have been made in conjunction with your flight.

We cannot accept liability for any delay which is due to any of the reasons set out in clause 10 of these Booking Conditions (which includes the behaviour of any passenger(s) on any flight who, for example, fails to check in or board on time).

The carrier(s), flight timings and types of aircraft shown in this brochure or on our website and detailed on your confirmation invoice are for guidance only and are subject to alteration and confirmation. We shall inform you of the identity of the actual carrier(s) as soon as we become aware of it. The latest flight timings will be shown on your tickets which will be despatched to you approximately two weeks before departure. You should check your tickets very carefully immediately on receipt to ensure you have the correct flight times. If flight times change after tickets have been dispatched we will contact you as soon as we can to let you know.

Please note the existence of a “UK Air Safety list” (available for inspection) detailing air carriers that are subject to an operating ban within the UK.

This brochure is our responsibility, as your tour operator. It is not issued on behalf of, and does not commit the airlines mentioned herein or any airline whose services are used in the course of your travel arrangements.

23.          Excursions

Excursions that you may choose to book or pay for independently before travel or whilst taking part in a placement do not form part of your contracted arrangements with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator.

24.          Baggage, Possessions and Valuables

You are responsible for ensuring that your baggage and personal possessions are safe at all times. You should include baggage insurance with your travel insurance and ensure sure that you are adequately covered.

We cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to your baggage and/or personal possessions except when they are specifically in our care or the care of our suppliers. It is your responsibility to ensure that your baggage is stored safely and securely in any accommodation or vehicles.

25.          Foreign Office Advice

You are responsible for making yourself aware of Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advice and State Department warnings in regard to the safety of the countries and areas in which you will be travelling and to make your decisions accordingly. Advice from the Foreign Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute Force Majeure (see Clause 12).

26.          Jurisdiction and Applicable Law

These Booking Terms & Conditions and any agreement to which they apply are governed in all respects by English law. We both agree that any dispute, claim or other matter which arises between us out of or in connection with your contract or booking will be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales only.