Terms & Conditions

Last updated: 3 May 2024

Findhorn Foundation SCIO 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

These Terms of Use govern your engagement with Findhorn Foundation’s Educational Experiences and services. Please read the Terms carefully, contact us if you have any questions. By booking with us, you agree to be bound by these terms, including Policies referenced in these Terms  

Please note ‘Experience’ -  relates to workshops, programmes, events and retreats run by the Findhorn Foundation SCIO 

Booking and Payments:

These Terms and Conditions relate to bookings for Findhorn Foundation SCIO experiences (workshops / events / retreats and programs), both onsite and online. Unless otherwise stated, all points are relevant to all guest / participant visits to our website and venue sites

Payment of a deposit / booking fee (sometimes included in the full payment) constitutes accepting these Terms and Conditions.

All bookings are provisional until confirmed by us via email.

  1. Payments

    1. All courses and programmes need to be paid in full as per agreement between the participant and Findhorn Foundation Education. When a participant registers to a course or programme, they commit to paying the full course fee or in instalments, applying the appropriate discounts if applicable. Payments can be made by bank card, credit card, PayPal or bank transfer.

    2. Wait for your confirmation email before making travel arrangements as we cannot guarantee bookings for any given week. 

  2. Pricing 

    1. Pricing is standard for each experience and will include accommodation, food, educational sessions and some activities, with no additional or hidden charges accrued during the process of booking a place. Transport is not included in the price. 

  3. Deposit 

    1. All experience pricings are inclusive of a 10% non refundable deposit, required to be paid at time of booking to secure a place on the chosen experience.  

  4. Cancellation Policy:

    1. Guidelines on cancellation procedures:

      1. Customer cancellation before 30 days of the start of an experience is refundable minus the non-refundable deposit.

      2. Customer cancellation within 30 days or less of the start of an experience is non-refundable.

      3. Booking within 30 days of the start of an experience will require payment in full and is non refundable if cancelled by the customer.

      4. We reserve the right to cancel an experience. Cancellation by the Findhorn Foundation SCIO at any stage will result in a 100% refund of the payment made by the customer.

      5. All communication shall be in writing.

    2. Refunds

      1. Refunds shall be made within 7 days of cancellation in accordance with the agreed terms of cancellation. 

      2. Recommendation is to obtain Travel Insurance. This is always recommended for local and overseas travellers. It should be taken out once the booking is confirmed. Travel insurance may prove useful to cover unexpected cancellations by you, sickness, emergency and other risks that can personally happen that could result in you cancelling your trip to us.

      3. The Findhorn Foundation SCIO does not accept any liability for travel arrangements made by the customer to attend. It is strongly advised that individuals take out travel insurance. 

  5. Participant Eligibility:

    1. Age restrictions : 

      1. Educational experiences held by the Findhorn Foundation SCIO are intended for adults ages 18 and above.

  6. Personal safety, wellbeing and health requirements or conditions that participants need to meet.

    1. Participants are responsible for maintaining their own wellbeing and must inform us of any pre-existing medical, physical, emotional, mental health, or addiction conditions so that together we can assess whether the programme environment is suitable for participation.

    2. We are not a healing or therapy centre. Findhorn Foundation SCIO Experiences are not intended to be therapy or to replace any therapeutic treatments.

    3. We reserve the right to refuse admission to our experiences, if on or prior to arrival / the start date, participation appears to be inappropriate.

    4. We also reserve the right to ask any participant to leave an experience if their behaviour is disruptive to the function of the Findhorn Foundation SCIO and/or presents a potential or actual risk to safety for themselves or others and/or interferes with the rights of others. This includes, but is not limited to, harassment, dangerous / reckless behaviour, nuisance, noise, use of weapons, abusive / threatening behaviour, abuse of legal or illegal substances and/or alcohol. 

    5. We always recommend that you consult your doctor and check that you are sufficiently fit and healthy enough to join the Findhorn Foundation SCIO experiences. Which may provide nature walks, gardening and indoor physical activities such as sitting for long periods or moderately vigorous activity.

    6. We reserve the right to cancel your placement if we find that information in the bookings process was incorrect or not forthcoming and the condition or concern that has come to light creates  unacceptable risk to either the participant or staff.

    7. In the case of a condition or awareness that may be impactful on the individual's safety or their full engagement with the experience, we advise you to contact us prior to booking, to discuss and explore the personal risk assessment. 

    8. We shall not be responsible for any injuries, mental or physical or of any kind, that take place during the time of the engagement. This includes anything inside or outside the buildings and whilst out walking or visiting other places.

    9. During any activity, if you begin to feel any discomfort and / or feel unwell for any reason, you must stop the activity immediately, and notify someone. Our team will support you during this time. 

    10. You are fully responsible for your own body, your own mind and what you choose to do. 

    11. Please alert us to any allergies and or dietary restrictions you may know or suspect you may have. 

  7. Meals / dietary requirements

    1. Where meals are included, our kitchens provide primarily plant based and vegetarian food. Vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free alternatives can be requested in advance. While we can prepare dishes without these ingredients, we aren’t able to guarantee non-cross contamination in the kitchen. With this in mind, unfortunately we are unable to cater for guests with serious or life-threatening food allergies / multiple food intolerances, nor guests with more specialised dietary needs.

    2. If you do travel with allergies ensure you have access to emergency medications and access to appropriate medical care. 

  8. When will a Findhorn Foundation SCIO experience NOT be appropriate

    1. If you are travelling and start feeling unwell with any symptoms that are disabling and or considered infectious, such as flu symptoms, fevers, stomach upsets, etc.

    2. If you are currently affected by substance use and or in the active process of detoxification and withdrawal. We operate a strict no smoking no alcohol; and no drugs policy.

    3. If you have received or completed any life threatening treatment or services within the past 3 months. If you're in doubt ask your physician to look at our website and assess.

    4. If you are experiencing mental illness that is not well managed, unstable or may be triggered by the experience or environment.

  9. Liability Waiver:

    1. Information on the extent of liability held by the organiser:

      1. The Findhorn Foundation SCIO does not accept any liability for existing or newly diagnosed medical conditions, acute illness or accident, unless proven to be due to gross negligence or intentional misconduct of our staff.

  10. Insurance:

    1. The Findhorn Foundation SCIO maintains public liability and professional indemnity insurance which will offer operational cover for the aforementioned experiences whilst carried out on their premises.

    2. Recommendations 

      1. Travel and breakdown Insurance. This is always recommended for local and overseas travellers.

      2. All travel arrangements you must make. Full details are on the website of how to find us. 

  11. Health and Safety:

    1. The Findhorn Foundation SCIO is subject to compliance with all national guidelines and regulations upheld by national regulatory bodies.

    2. All significant  activities and areas shall be risk assessed prior to use  and reviewed in line with our organisational governance framework.

    3. Participants are expected to look at all relevant health and safety information provided to them on arrival, ask clarifying questions and to attend safety tours and sessions.

  12. Privacy Policy:

    1. All transactions and interactions are subject to national data protection laws such as the data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Please also see our Privacy Policy and Data Protection Policy above.

  13. Changes to the Event:

    1. The Findhorn Foundation SCIO experiences are conducted in many differing environments and are a mix of indoor activities, outdoor activities and free time. The time table content and sequencing may vary depending on weather, availability and personal choice. All efforts are made to comply to the programme and personal choices.

    2. If any significant changes are made prior to starting and or during the experience you will be notified directly by a member of the educational team. 

  14. Intellectual Property:

    1. The use of materials provided during the retreat, such as workbooks, articles, or online content shall be held in line with the Findhorn Foundation SCIO I.P. Policy.

    2. We ask that no recording or photographs be taken during a session or group activity and generally during your stay  before obtaining  specific permission if involving any of the group or staff, directly or indirectly.

  15. Dispute Resolution:

    1. If you are unhappy about any aspect of your experience with the Findhorn Foundation SCIO, please bring it to our attention, so that we can take action in the most supportive way possible. You may speak to any member of staff to raise an issue or you may comment in our feedback process. 

    2.  If you raise an issue and you feel it has not been dealt with appropriately, you may make a complaint to any team member  and we will endeavour to resolve this to your satisfaction. Please indicate the circumstances and details of your complaint clearly and what resolution you would welcome.

    3. If you feel strongly that your expectations have not been met adequately, you may then make a formal complaint, by contacting complaints@findhorn.org with as much detailed information of the concern as possible. Your complaint will be acknowledged within five days and we will then get back to you to discuss the most appropriate way of taking the matter forward. Our commitment to all complainants is to try and resolve complaints informally to the satisfaction of all parties wherever possible and to learn from the experience.

  16. Accessibility and Special Needs:

    1. Due to the remoteness of the environment, accessibility is an ongoing challenge. We therefore ask any individual considering joining an experience who has a recognised special need or physical requirement to contact us directly via the website to discuss prior to booking. 

    2. Commitment Statement:The Findhorn Foundation SCIO is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive safe environment. This can include values regarding acceptance and respect for all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, religion, or any other characteristic, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. 

  17. Accommodation:

    1. Most of the accommodation available at our educational venues are shared along with shared communal bathroom facilities. 

    2. Allocation of a sleeping space can be done by attunement, which requires people to be open to finding their space through a shared meditation and inner listening process.

    3. This process is considered to be a way of addressing the issue as a community and does not differentiate on grounds of non inclusion.

    4. If you have special access requirements you will be able to raise the issue with the facilitating team during your booking process, to explore options. 

  18. Code of Conduct:

    1. All participants shall be expected  to follow a personal code of conduct  emphasising respect, integrity, and consideration for others, you shall be expected to engage with and agree to the group agreement at the commencement of the experience, as laid out in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

    2. Your experience focaliser will discuss these considerations and formulate a verbal group agreement for you to verbally consent to.

    3. If your behaviour is found not to be inline with these values and expectations, an experienced focaliser or staff member shall raise the issue with you in an appropriate and respectful manner to explore the steps needed to resolve the situation, including potential removal from the retreat without a refund.

    4. By agreeing to the terms and conditions of this booking process you are agreeing to upholding this consideration to the best of your ability.

  19. Contact Information:

    1. Participants can contact the organiser before and during the retreat for any queries or issues by responding to any of their confirmation emails or going to our website.