Volunteer Challenge - Terms and Conditions

Volunteer challenge

1 Interpretation
1.1 In this document, the following words shall have the following meanings:
'you' and 'your' means the volunteer who applies for a placement through us.
'we', 'us', 'our' and `Volunteer Challenge’ means Volunteer Challenge (Santa Cruz-Bolivia) c/ Capitan Arrien Nº 41 , zona del Parque Urbano.
'placement' means the voluntary work at the school, institution, organization or conservation project where you will be volunteering or working and in which you are placed, and ‘organization’ means this school, institution, organization or conservation project and includes the directors, managers, employees, representatives and all other people within their control at the organization. Orientation means short information session.
Coordinator(s)’ means the person(s) who, in the placement country, organizes placements.
`conditions’ means these terms and conditions.

3. The Service We Provide
3.1 The service which we provide to you, and for which you have to pay, is an introduction and arrangement service where we match your requirements for a placement with the existing volunteer placements.

4 Your Coordinator
4.1 Details of your in-country Coordinator are provided in your pre-departure information. It is your Coordinator who arranges particular placements and places individual volunteers in those placements.

5 Placements and Location
5.1 It is a condition of your booking that you are prepared to be flexible in relation to your placement and its location within the country. Whilst we/your Coordinator will try to place you in the placement requested on your Application Form, where it is not available for whatever reason or we/your Coordinator/the volunteer organization responsible for the placement decides after receiving your personal details that it does not want to have you as its volunteer at that placement, we/your Coordinator reserve the right find a suitable alternative at no extra charge and to change your placement in consultation with you.
5.2 In order to process your application for a placement, you will be asked to provide a suitable reference and health check and/or criminal check. You/your doctor may also be asked to provide additional information on your health. We are also entitled to carry out a check on you with the Criminal Records Bureau (or any equivalent body). If in our opinion, or that of your Coordinator, the reference and/or health information and/or criminal check we receive about you or any other information you provide make you unsuitable for your chosen placement, we/your Coordinator are entitled to refuse to proceed further with your application. Where reasonably possible, we may offer you an alternative placement although we are not obliged to do so.
5.3 In certain circumstances it may be necessary for your Coordinator to move you from one placement to another, for example where the organization responsible for the placement decides they no longer need you. If this happens your Coordinator will arrange transportation from your old placement to your new placement and we/your Coordinator will inform you of this change as soon as possible
5.5 We honestly believe that all statements made in our brochure or website are factual and correct. Every reasonable effort has been made to describe the placement and to provide the amenities described. We cannot therefore be held responsible for any changes that become known after the brochure was produced (up-to-date information can be found on the website), not can we accept liability for happenings outside our reasonable control. We undertake to advise you of any material changes known to us prior to your departure.

6 Accommodations
6.1 Details of accommodation is provided as part of each placement from us when you book.
6.2 Any accommodation provided as part of a placement is intended for the use of the volunteer only; any visitors you may have during your stay, including family, are not allowed to use it unless they book their accommodation in advance (if there is availability).
6.5 In placement accommodation, your sleeping arrangements may be private or shared, and in most cases you will be required to share a bathroom and toilet facilities.

6.5 Due to the country that the placements are located in, it is important for you to realize that bathroom and toilet facilities and standards of hygiene will be in accordance with local standards and will usually be below western standards. These facilities and standards may sometimes be very basic.

7 Foods
7.1 Details of what meals are provided (if any) as part of each placement, on the website or are available from us when you book. Where meals are provided, it should be of a suitable quality or quantity by local standards. In some cases you may want to supplement the meals provided with food that you buy yourself, particularly if you prefer a western diet, and may want to take some extra finances to cover this.
7.2 Where meals are provided to you as part of the placement we/your Coordinator will inform the organization or family responsible for your meals of any special dietary requirements which you let us know about. We/your Coordinator cannot, however, guarantee that any such requirements can/will be met.
7.4 If you choose to spend time away from the accommodation provided during your placement , such as on an overnight trip you organize yourself, you do so at your own cost, and we/your Coordinator cannot give you a refund for accommodation costs during the time spent away.

8 Travels
8.1 You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own travel (including your air fare) to the airport closest to your placement, and for your return journey at the end of your placement. In most cases we would encourage you to book your flights and inform us as soon as possible. However, for placements where we need to make particular checks on volunteer suitability, we recommend that you wait until we confirm your placement before booking your flights. (This will only be after we have received and have had a chance to consider all information requested by Application Form, and received all payments then due.) We will make it clear which case applies to you.
8.2 We/your Coordinator cannot meet, reimburse or otherwise be responsible for any flight, travel or other costs or expenses of any nature (including, for example, any charges made by airlines etc for cancelling, changing or transferring flights or other arrangements) which are incurred or arise as a result of your placement not proceeding or being cancelled, curtailed, withdrawn or changed due to circumstances outside our control/the control of your Coordinator (including those referred to in clause 5.2).

9 Expenses
9.1 You are responsible for all of your personal expenses during your placement, which includes the cost of transport from your accommodation to your placement on a daily basis and between placements. We can obtain details of likely costs from your Coordinator for you if you ask us to do so before you travel.
9.2 Some organizations responsible for placements or families responsible for your accommodation may choose to offer you a small allowance or payment. However this is entirely at their discretion and is not something over which we have any control or say. As a volunteer, you agree that you will not request any payment from the organization responsible for your placement. In the event that you are given any payment, you are responsible for paying any local taxes and making sure that you comply with any relevant local laws and comply with the terms of your visa. If you breach the terms of your visa by doing paid work which is not permitted, your placement could be cut short and you could be ejected from the country or even risk a fine or imprisonment abroad. Accepting such payments may also affect your insurance cover. For this reason we would recommend strongly against accepting any such payments unless you are sure that your visa covers you. You do so entirely at your own risk.

10 Collection from the Airport
10.1 On receipt of your completed Travel Arrangements Form (see 10.4) we/your Coordinator can request for you to be collected by a representative of the organization responsible for your placement or a member of the family responsible for your accommodation from the airport closest to your placement and taken to your placement. We will not charge you for doing this.
10.2 Where we/your Coordinator have requested for you to be collected from the airport, we/your Coordinator cannot absolutely guarantee that the representative will arrive on time or on very rare occasions at all as we/your Coordinator are not in control of those representatives and circumstances may occur that are beyond their control due, for example, to the nature of the infrastructure of the country you are visiting, such as vehicles breaking down, problems with transport and roads, extreme weather and so on.
10.3 If the representative has not arrived to collect you from the airport within four hours of the time you were due to be collected, it is your responsibility to arrange your own transport to your placement, but if you send us copies of receipts and other travel documents, we will arrange for your reasonable travel costs incurred in travelling from the airport to your placement to be refunded.
10.4 Some time before the start of your placement, you should provide us with your flight details failing which we/your Coordinator will not be responsible for requesting your airport collection.

11 Travel Insurance
11.1 No travel insurance is provided as part of your placement, you are responsible for booking your insurance. You are responsible for checking the cover provided by the insurance company (including the terms and conditions) and for ensuring it is adequate and appropriate for your particular needs. If it isn’t in any respect, you are responsible for arranging and paying for suitable additional insurance. Please make sure you take the policy details away with you. You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own suitable insurance to cover any additional time you spend abroad before and after your placement (and between placements where you undertake more than one).

12 Visas – IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Please Read This Section Carefully
12.1 We will provide you with information to assist you in obtaining visas to allow you entry into the country of your placement.
12.2 Many countries unfortunately do not have visas specifically for volunteers. Work permits are often very difficult or impossible to obtain, particularly for Bolivia. Accordingly many of our volunteers choose to enter the country of their placement on a tourist visa. Technically you may not be permitted to work in the country on a tourist visa, but it may be the only way that you are allowed into the country. Bolivia is tolerant of volunteers who are present on tourist visas; none of our volunteers had encountered any problems in this respect.
12.4 You are entirely responsible for ensuring that, prior to seeking entry into the country of your placement, you have obtained a visa which you are happy is appropriate for you in the circumstances explained above, and for the costs of obtaining such a visa.

13 Payment and booking
13.1 Upon receipt of your Application Form from the web site and your deposit, we will start to process your application. However, if you withdraw your application at any stage, as we will have already incurred costs in processing your application and looking for a placement, we regret that we cannot refund your deposit as we need to cover our costs incurred on your behalf.
13.3 You must then complete the application process.
13.5 You must pay the balance of the arrangement fee at least 3 weeks before your arrival date of your placement, or as soon as reasonably possible. Then we will send you the complete project and accommodation details.
13.6 We will provide you with the final details of your placement not less than 5 days before your arrival at your placement. We/your Coordinator cannot guarantee the absolute accuracy of this information as the organization responsible for your placement may very occasionally make minor changes to these details prior to your arrival without our/your Coordinator’s knowledge.
13.7 If you wish to make alterations to your placement once it has been confirmed, we will endeavor to make the changes, provided we receive your request in writing, and there is sufficient time to do so (see condition 13.8). We will notify you in advance of any charges, which will be made by third parties in respect of these changes; if you wish to proceed with making the alterations, you agree to pay these.
13.8 The minimum notice we require in order to make an alteration is generally 7 days before the placement start date. Depending on the placement and alteration requested, it may occasionally be longer.
13.10 We reserve the right to postpone your arrival date at your placement if you do not return to us your completed Application Form and other requirements, or send to us your full placement balance or reference, by deadlines.

14 Pre departure cancellation
14.1 If you cancel your placement more than 3 months prior to the commencement date of your placement, we will keep your deposit to cover the costs we have incurred on your behalf in arranging your placement, but you will not own us any further fees.
14.2 If you cancel less than three months but more than two months prior to the commencement date of your placement, you will be entitled to a refund of one half of the cost of your placement. Any outstanding balance must be paid.
14.3 If you cancel less than two months but more than one month prior to the commencement date of your placement, you will be entitled to a refund of 25% of the cost of your placement. Any outstanding balance must be paid.
14.4 If you cancel less than one month prior to the commencement date of your placement, you will not be entitled to any refund. Any outstanding balance must be paid.
14.5 The reason for the reducing scale of refunds set out above is because your Coordinator needs to maintain a good working relationship with the organizations offering placements to ensure that there are future placements available for other volunteers. We will need to try to find a suitable replacement volunteer to carry out your cancelled placement, and the less time left until the placement is due to start, the more expense and difficulty we will have in locating a suitable alternative volunteer, or alternatively we may decide to make a financial or other contribution to the relevant organization to compensate them and ensure their future goodwill. Notice of cancellation only takes effect when received by us in writing.
14.6 Please note, where a combination of two or more placements is booked, the reference to commencement date in this clause 14 is a reference to the commencement date of the first placement of any combination. This will be the case even where, in the case of part cancellation, the placement which is being cancelled is not the first placement. This is because arrangements for combined placements are made at the same time, working on the basis of the timescale applicable to the first placement to take place. Cancellation of one or more placement(s) but not all placements forming part of a combination will be treated as a part cancellation of the entire booking and not as an amendment. Accordingly, the above reducing scale of refunds will apply to the placement(s) being cancelled.

15 Problems during your placement
15.1 You are responsible for trying to sort out any problems that may arise during your placement; however, in the event that you experience any difficulties, your Coordinator will be available and may be able to assist you. He/she may also be able to provide practical help should you need to return to your country of abode before completion of your placement as a result of illness or other personal reason (although you are financially responsible for the costs of this, either under your insurance policy or otherwise).
15.2 It is important to remember that your Coordinator will be available at limited times only and will be able to provide limited support. The nature of your placement is that you are able to show a high level of independence and initiative in dealing with problems yourself.
15.3 Your Coordinator will take all reasonable steps to arrange a safe placement with a consistent level of work throughout, but as your Coordinator have any direct control over your placement we/your Coordinator cannot guarantee your level of work. You are responsible for taking every day common sense steps as an independent traveler to protect your safety on a day to day basis.

16 Your obligations
16.1 You must comply with any reasonable request by your placement or Coordinator. This may involve being transferred to a site in the locality provided that this would not place you in any danger and that the travel to the appropriate site is reasonable, or that suitable accommodation is provided. (You are responsible for any reasonable travel costs incurred in doing this).
16.2 You must not enter into any direct negotiations or contractual arrangement for employment during your placement.
16.3 You must take care of and be responsible for any materials provided for your use by your placement. You are responsible for any damage or loss you cause to such materials (directly or through neglect).
16.4 You are responsible for any damage to your accommodation caused by you or any guest(s) of yours at your accommodation (directly or through neglect).
16.5 You may not use any of the facilities at your placement (for example, a school’s swimming pool or sports facilities) without the consent of the placement.
16.6 You must dress appropriately for interviews and work. You must behave appropriately in accordance with locally accepted behavior and custom during your placement. We/your Coordinator do not accept responsibility for failure to secure work or dismissal from such work due to inappropriate dress or behavior.

17 Travel Documentation
17.1 It is your responsibility to ensure that you have a full and valid passport which is acceptable to the immigration authorities of the country of your placement and which will be valid for the duration of and for a period of at least 6 months after your placement. You must also have an appropriate visa – see condition 12.

18 Inoculations & Medical Advice
18.1 It is your responsibility to ensure that you have taken appropriate medical advice from your doctor in respect of the country in which you will be doing your placement, and that you have received all the appropriate inoculations and treatment in respect of that country the appropriate period before arrival. In addition, you must bring with you any necessary/recommended medication or medical equipment (such as syringes, water sterilization tablets, mosquito netting and malaria tablets). You should also take reasonable steps to keep yourself in good health by taking any such medication and not taking part in any high risk activities during your placement which could compromise your health.

19 Unusual Circumstances
“unusual circumstances”). These may cause disruption or changes to or even the cancellation/curtailment of your placement at any time. Such circumstances are likely to include war or threat of war, terrorist activity or threat of such activity, riots or civil strife, industrial action, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, health risks and epidemics and all similar circumstances.

20 End of Agreement
20.1 We and your Coordinator have the right to terminate your placement and agreements with us if:
20.1.1 The organization responsible for your placement and/or your Co-coordinator finds that you are not fulfilling your obligations;
20.1.2 Your behavior in our reasonable opinion or the reasonable opinion of the organization responsible for your placement or your Co-coordinator is causing danger or distress or significant difficulties for anyone at your placement including students or your fellow volunteers or workers;
20.1.3 You have continually refused to carry out the reasonable requests of your placement or your Coordinator;
20.1.4 You are discovered to have lied or failed to give complete information in any communications with or documentation provided to us or your Coordinator (which includes your Application and Application Forms) or have acted in such a way that your actions are likely to bring us or your Coordinator or the organization responsible for your placement into disrepute or to otherwise cause any of us significant difficulties;
20.1.5 You are found to be involved with illegal substances or are convicted of any criminal offence during the period of your placement or are discovered to have been convicted of any offence prior to starting your placement about which you have not notified us.
20.2 With the exception of 20.1.5, if we, your project or your co-coordinator reasonably believe that you are in breach of these terms and conditions you will be notified in writing by way of a warning letter. The reasons for the warning will be stated clearly and you will be given a reasonable amount of time to alter your behavior and/or the situation. If you do not comply with the request on this warning letter, then you will be served with a written notice from us to terminate our contract with you.
20.2.1 In the event of circumstances referred to in clauses 20.1.4 to 20.1.5 you will be served with a written notice from us to terminate our contract with you without prior written warning.
20.2.2 In the event of termination you will be required to leave your project and vacate your accommodation immediately. Failure to do so will result in appropriate legal action being taken against you in your country of abode.
20.2.3 In the event of termination in any of the circumstances referred to in clauses 20.2.1and 20.2.2 above you will have to make your own travel arrangements back to your country of abode. We/your Coordinator accept no responsibility for any costs, expenses, loss or other sum(s) of any description suffered as a result of this termination. You will receive no refund of any payments you have made.
20.3 PLEASE NOTE: If you terminate your contract for personal reasons once you have started your placement but prior to its completion, this is your choice, and you are responsible for the consequences of that decision. We and your Coordinator will not be responsible for you once you have left your placement; will not be responsible for any costs, expenses, loss or other sum(s) of any description you incur or suffer as a result; and will not give you any refund of any payments you have made.

21 Security and Government Advice
21.1 It is your responsibility to obtain and, if necessary, clarify Foreign Office advice and information in relation to the political and security situation in respect of the country of your placement, and to take any steps that you feel are appropriate in the light of that advice and information.

22 Complaints Procedure
22.1 If you have a problem whilst you are on your placement, we recommend that you should initially try and resolve it with the organization offering the placement, and with your Co-coordinator, as they are on the ground and will be able to deal with any problems most quickly and effectively.
22.2 If the problem is something which you wish to complain about, you must write the details down and submit them to your Co-coordinator at the time the problem occurs. This means that they can investigate. You should keep a copy of your written complaint yourself.

23 Duration of Placement
23.1 Your placement will start on the date of your arrival at your placement, or on the start date for your orientation, whichever is the earliest, and will end on the date agreed with us. Your placement does not include any independent travel before or after your placement starts or ends.

24 Data Protection
24.1 In connection with your placement it will be necessary for us to transfer Personal Data about you, including Sensitive Personal Data, such as medical information and details of any convictions, to the organization that you would volunteer at, so we can provide details to your Coordinator and the placement where you will be working or volunteering which will be required for the purposes of arranging the placement and in order to protect your interests, for example medical information about you to assist in the provision of medical treatment should you become ill or suffer an accident. We also need to hold and store such Personal Data and Sensitive Personal Data in the UK for the same reasons. By signing the Application Form for a placement you are giving your explicit consent to such transfers and holding/storing of your Personal Data and Sensitive Personal Data.