The terms and conditions set out below apply to your joining the Portugal Writing Retreat 2026 offered by Jacqui Lofthouse at The Writing Coach. Please read them carefully as they affect your rights and liabilities under law and set out the terms under which Jacqui Lofthouse (“I”, “me” or “my”) provide services to you, as a purchaser of the Portugal Writing Retreat. These terms are subject to any rights you have under consumer law to which I am bound to and which cannot be waived.
1. Booking
(a) Your booking is not considered definite and no contract will exist until we receive a deposit of £500. By booking a retreat with The Writing Coach you are accepting these terms and conditions.
(b) We do not share customer contact details with any third parties.
2. Payment
(a) The price is the exact amount to be received in full by us in GBP.
(b) After payment of the £500 deposit, the remaining balance is payable in two equal instalments as follows. We will invoice you a month in advance of each due date:
19th September 2025: 40% of remaining balance due
11th January 2026: 60% of remaining balance due.
If full payment is not made 45 days or more prior to the start date of our retreat it will be assumed that you wish to cancel your booking without refund of your original deposit.
3. Your Travel Arrangements
All travel arrangements are your responsibility and at your own cost. We shall not be held liable for any consequences arising from delays or cancellations in any of the companies you may have made arrangements with, or for any irregularities in your documentation required for travel. Transfers to Green Farm from the local train station is included in the package but all other transfers to/from the retreat are at your own cost, unless otherwise specified. We will be in touch about fees for group airport transfers nearer to the time of departure.
4. Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is essential. Please ensure that your travel insurance covers the activities of this retreat as well as unexpected cancellation, sickness, losses and all other risks associated with traveling and taking part in the retreat. You should bring your own travel insurance policy with you in case of an emergency.
5. Your Health
(a) It is your responsibility to let your Hosts know if you have any injuries and to be mindful at all times of your own body’s capabilities during the retreat.(b) Please advise us of any mental or physical health conditions, allergies and dietary requirements before you book. If you have health conditions and dietary requirements that may be affected by the activities offered on our retreats we reserve the right to advise you to desist and in the interests of your health, or others, we may decline your stay at our retreats.
(c) Whilst all measures are taken to ensure a high standard of health and safety, we are situated in the countryside where the land is uneven and we shall not be responsible for any injuries caused by uneven terrain.
(d) We shall not be held responsible for any injuries sustained during swimming in the pool or other retreat activities.
6. Cancellation by you
(a) You (or any member of your party) may cancel your booking at any time, providing that the cancellation is made by the person submitting the booking form and is notified to us in writing. Cancellation will take effect the day such notification is received by us. The deposit paid at the time of booking is non-refundable. If cancellation is made within 30 days of the start of the retreat we will retain the full amount paid by you.
(b) Bookings are for the stated period of the retreat. There are no refunds for an unused portion of the retreat. If the reason for cancellation is covered under the terms of your Insurance Policy, you may be able to make a claim on your own insurance.
7. Amendments by us
Occasionally, changes may have to be made (e.g., class times or other arrangements), which we reserve the right to do at any time. If your accommodation has to be changed, we will do our utmost to provide accommodation of a similar standard. If a significant change becomes necessary, we will inform you as soon as possible before your departure.
8. Cancellation by us
We reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel a retreat. In particular our retreats require a minimum number of at least 75% of the participants to have booked by 30 days before the start date. If this minimum number is not reached by that date we may cancel and refund payment to you.
9. Our liability to you
(a) We accept responsibility for ensuring that the retreats are supplied as described and that the services we are contractually obliged to provide are to a reasonable standard.
(b) We do not accept any liability for cancellations, delays or changes caused by war, threat of war, terrorist actions or threats, closure of airports, civil strife, industrial action, natural disaster, technical problems to transport, staff cancellations, unforeseen changes in your personal circumstances or other events beyond our control.
(c) We are not liable for any injuries you may incur. Activities, including yoga and swimming, are undertaken at your own risk. We are not liable for any medical or psychiatric conditions, which may develop during or subsequent to the retreat. We are not liable for loss of, or damage to, your personal property.
10. Group Bookings
Where a booking is made on behalf of several individuals the booking is conditional on the person(s) paying having authorization from all the individuals named on the booking form to enter into this contract. The terms of this contract will apply to each member of the group as though they had paid for their own retreat individually and directly to us.
11. No Liability for possessions.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your possessions are kept safe at all times. This includes hire cars or other hired equipment. We cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to personal belongings during the retreat.
12. Complaints
If you have a problem during your retreat, please inform Jacqueline Smith, Client Services Manager, and she will endeavour to put things right. Please note that we cannot be held responsible for the individual behaviour of any group member or other guest sharing your accommodation.
13. Privacy Policy
We do not share customer details with any 3rd parties. Any personal information that you provide to us will be used only for the service you requested. This information is used only for administration of the site system and in the compilation of statistics used by us to assess the use of the site. This privacy policy does not cover the links within this site linking to other sites.
14. Photography
I, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, hereby irrevocably authorize The Writing Coach to use photographs of me and or my property and authorize The Writing Coach and its assignees, licensees, legal representatives and transferees to use and publish (with or without my name) photographs, pictures, portraits or images in any and all forms and media and in all manners including composite images or distorted representations, and the purposes of publicity, illustration, commercial art, advertising, publishing (including publishing in electronic form on CDs or internet websites), for any product or services, or other lawful uses as may be determined by the photographer. I further waive any and all rights to review or approve any uses of the images, any written copy or finished product. I am of full legal age and have read and fully understand the terms of this release.
General
I intend to rely on the written terms set out in these terms and conditions in respect of the Portugal Writing Retreat 2026 as it is delivered to you. These written terms shall constitute the entire agreement between us.
If any provision or part- provision of these terms and conditions is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable, it shall be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, legal and enforceable. If such modification is not possible, the relevant provision or part- provision shall be deemed deleted. Any such modification or deletion shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the rest of these terms and conditions.
These Terms are governed by the laws of England & Wales. The Courts of England & Wales have exclusive jurisdiction over any matter and proceedings arising out of your purchase of the course.