Terms and conditions

The following Terms and Conditions (“terms”) explain the service with which you are provided by Lattitude Global Volunteering Limited (“Lattitude”), and what we in turn expect from you as a selected Lattitude volunteer (“Volunteer”). All references to `we’, `us’ and `our’ refer to Lattitude. All references to `you’ are to the Volunteer, who must be at least 17 years old when your Lattitude placement begins.

FUNCTIONS AND SERVICES

1. The functions of Lattitude are:
• To arrange voluntary work experience placements overseas for young people
• To provide information relating to these placements
• To effect introductions between returned LATTITUDE volunteers and third parties
2. The services Lattitude provides to the Volunteer are as follows:
• A managed selection process
• The identification and vetting of suitable voluntary work experience placements overseas
• Matching the Volunteer to a suitable placement
• Assistance with visa, travel and insurance arrangements
• Support and briefing before departure, including training as appropriate
• In-country support that balances independence with a duty of care
• Contact details of all relevant Lattitude staff

LIABILITIES

3. Lattitude takes all reasonable steps to ensure that the information given is accurate and any placement is satisfactorily arranged. The liability of Lattitude, its agents or subcontractors, under or in connection with these terms, whether in contract, negligence, breach of statutory duty or otherwise, shall in respect of each event or connected event be limited to one million pounds and in no circumstances shall Lattitude be liable to the Volunteer or any third party for loss of profits or other indirect or consequential loss howsoever arising.
4. Notwithstanding the above Lattitude does not seek to exclude or limit any liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence on its part or for any other loss or damage for which it is not legally permissible to exclude or restrict liability. While Lattitude has a duty of care to ensure the Volunteer’s safety, it is not liable for loss or damage suffered as a result of events beyond the control of Lattitude.

OBLIGATIONS

5. The Volunteer has an obligation both to the Host Organisation (“the Host”) offering the placement and to Lattitude to carry out duties as agreed when the offer of a placement is accepted. The Volunteer must abide by the Host’s code of conduct/rules and fulfil the duties assigned to the best of his/her abilities, behaving responsibly at all times and co-operating with other staff/volunteers on the relevant project. The Volunteer must inform the Host of any absence from duties.
6. The Volunteer must abide by the Lattitude Code of Conduct
7. If the Volunteer wishes to leave the placement before the agreed finish date, he/she must discuss this with the Host and notify in writing the Project Co-ordinator and Project Manager. If the Volunteer leaves the placement without the consent of the Host or Lattitude, he/she will cease to be under the auspices of Lattitude. In this case his/her visa may become invalid.
8. If the Host terminates the Volunteer’s placement before the agreed finish date, the Volunteer must inform his/her Project Manager and Project Co-ordinator. After investigating the circumstances, Lattitude will then take reasonable steps to assist the Volunteer, where such assistance is appropriate.
9. If the Volunteer experiences a problem with his/her placement, he/she must discuss this in the first instance with the Host. If the matter cannot be satisfactorily resolved, the Volunteer must raise the matter with Lattitude’s local representative and then the Project Manager. If the Project Manager is not available, the Volunteer should contact the staff at Lattitude’s Head Office, based at 44 Queens Road, Reading, RG1 4BB, UK, tel. +44 (0)118 959 4914 (“Head Office”).
10. Other than in the circumstances stated below or where required to do so by law, Lattitude will not disclose to the Volunteer’s parent / guardian or next of kin any information relating to a Volunteer or his/her activities on the placement without obtaining the Volunteer’s prior consent, unless the Volunteer has already involved them via written or oral communication.

11. All monies owing to Lattitude must be paid two months before the departure of the Volunteer. Failure to pay may invalidate the Volunteer’s placement.
12. You must present a police background check prior to departure. Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of your placement.

DATA PROTECTION

13. Lattitude reserves the right to transfer the personal details of a Volunteer to third parties for the following purposes:
• Disclosure of information to the Volunteer’s parent / guardian or next of kin in the case of an emergency or in any circumstances where Lattitude reasonably believes that the Volunteer’s vital interests are threatened.
• Transfer of personal details for the purpose of obtaining a medical check to confirm whether the Volunteer's health is suitable to the placement offered.
• Transfer of contact details to fellow volunteers going to the country of the Volunteer’s placement.
• Transfer of personal details to hosts overseas.
• Maintenance of personal data in the Lattitude database, facilitating membership onto the Business Partnership Scheme, and allowing the Volunteer to be kept involved with Lattitude’s work through the Promotions Officer Scheme and Alumni Club if they so wish.
The Volunteer should notify Lattitude in writing if he/she does not want their details passed to any third parties for any of the above purposes.

Lattitude’S COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

14. Most problems should be resolved by prior discussion with relevant Lattitude staff at our Head Office. If the Volunteer feels that his/her problem has not been adequately dealt with, he/she should send a written complaint to the Director who is also based at our Head Office. Letters of complaint will be acknowledged within three days. A full reply may take up to 28 days if overseas personnel need to be contacted. The Volunteer may be invited to a meeting at our Head Office to discuss the complaint.

CANCELLATION CHARGES

15. The Deposit is non-refundable. In the event of cancellation by the Volunteer, the amount of the Lattitude Fee that is payable is dependent on the date of receipt of written notice in line with the following:

Notice of withdrawal	Cancellation Charge
More than 12 weeks before departure	Deposit only
8-12 weeks before departure	50% of Lattitude Fee
4-8 weeks before departure	75% of Lattitude Fee
Less than 4 weeks before departure	100% of Lattitude Fee

16. If the placement originally offered to a Volunteer becomes unavailable for some reason, Lattitude will make every effort to find a comparable alternative placement for the Volunteer. If Lattitude is unable to offer the Volunteer a satisfactory alternative placement, a refund of the full balance.

INSURANCE

17. The Volunteer must be adequately insured and must provide Lattitude with evidence of suitable cover prior to departure. Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of your placement.

RIGHTS OF THIRD PARTIES

18. The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 shall not apply to these terms or to any contract between Lattitude and the Volunteer except to the extent that any provision of these terms expressly provide to the contrary.

NOTICES

19. Notices may be given to Lattitude at its Head Office and by Lattitude to the Volunteer at the address that he/she has advised Lattitude as being his/her permanent address.

APPLICABLE LAW

20. These terms shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales and the Volunteer submits to the jurisdiction of the English courts although Lattitude shall have the right to institute or enforce proceedings in any other court which has jurisdiction.