Group Booking form

To provide us with information about your group booking requirements please submit this form. We will be in touch with you as soon as we have received it. Thank you!
Some of the form may not be relevant for your group, and some of the information you may not yet know, but please do fill in as much as you can as soon as you are clear that you would like to confirm a group booking. We will be in touch to confirm any further details required.

Date of arrival in Bangalore

MM

DD

YYYY

Date of departure from Bangalore/ India

MM

DD

YYYY

Flight information, if known

Group leader-1

First Name

Last Name

Group Leader-1 Telephone

(###)

###

####

Group Leader-1 Email

Group leader-2 (if relevant)

First Name

Last Name

Group leader-2 Telephone (if relevant)

(###)

###

####

Group leader-2 Email

Allocated student group leader (if relevant)

First Name

Last Name

Organisation / School

Number of student participants—Total—if known

If not known please give an estimated number- up to 24 in total. Please add on rows below to include all of your group.

Number of staff participants

If not known please give an estimated number- up to 24 in total. Please add on rows below to include all of your group.

Special requirements

Any special requirements of any members of the above group? ie diet, accommodation, medication etc (Please add an extra page if needed, in confidence when received.) We will gather details of this info. in our medical form to follow.

Programme information / Theme of the visit:

Please take some time to write a brief outline of what you would like this visit to focus on, and any activities that you are most interested in including. You are welcome to plan in as much time on your own topics, using the space independently of us, and we can also facilitate activities, discussions, and excursions according to your interests and needs. Please extend the box or add another page. We will follow up this booking with a detailed discussion about your programme, followed by the drafting of an itinerary.

Signature of group leader-1

I have checked the details above, have read the information below and agree to abide by the terms and conditions outlined. I understand the role of the leader as clarified.

Please insert your e-signature or a scanned file of your signature

Signature of group leader-2 (if relevant)

I have checked the details above, have read the information below and agree to abide by the terms and conditions outlined. I understand the role of the leader as clarified.

Please insert your e-signature or a scanned file of your signature

This section will be signed by Stepwell on return of the document and retained for when needed

I have checked the booking details above and agree to the terms and conditions as specified overleaf

First Name

Last Name

Signature

Date

MM

DD

YYYY

Information about what happens next:

Send us this completed booking form (with e-signatures) by email to Stepwell’s email: (email address) We will reply as soon as we have received it.
A deposit to secure your place on the visit: We will then email you confirming the booking and will ask for a deposit of equiv. of £150 per participant. This will confirm your booking with us and will be the first instalment of your payment for the visit.
Preparation and pre departure process: Once the booking has been confirmed we will get in touch with you to discuss your programme in more detail and form a draft plan for the visit, and will send details of our preparation process.

Please be in touch with us if you have any questions that you would like answered before or after you return the booking form.
Many thanks.

Booking Terms and Conditions

Booking agreement:
The above form is to be signed and dated both by the applicant/ group leader/ staff member who is undertaking the booking, and by the member of Stepwell who processes the booking. It will be retained by Stepwell and in the case of cancellations by either of the above parties it may be referred to as a business agreement between these two parties.

Deposit and payment balance:
A deposit of £150 per participant is payable when your booking is confirmed, in order to secure your booking. This will be retained as a non-returnable deposit and the first instalment for the payment. The balance of the payment will be due twelve weeks prior to your arrival. Stepwell will send invoices by email for both deposits and balance, once the booking form has been processed. The booking will take effect once the deposit amount has been received. Invoices for the costs are sent by email. Receipts of payment will be sent by email. Invoices and receipts must be retained by both parties.

Stepwell’s costs:
Once you have made a booking Stepwell will be in touch with you to collaboratively plan out a programme which meets your needs. The visit in country and operational cost will be clarified once the group is formed and the final programme is fixed and will be in accordance to the requirements of the programme in collaboration with Stepwell, and the exchange rate at the time of payment and will aim to fall within the guide prices quoted in the literature about this visit. Please ensure that you have read the further information provided about the visit so that you are clear what the costs that are sent covers and what is not covered.

The leaders role:
The role of the leader may be shared between the staff member who is initiating and planning the visit and a second staff member, or with a student member who will actually be travelling. This depends on whether a staff member is accompanying the group. If the role is shared please can you provide contact information for both people. The tasks for the leader(s) include:

Initiating, planning and booking the visit the visit with Stepwell, using this form.
Sending a deposit to confirm the booking.
Communicating in collaboration with Stepwell to plan a programme for the visit.
Sharing the preparation information (pack) about the visit as provided by Stepwell to all participants.
Organising that the organisation/ group members pay the balance of costs by the specified date. Often it is very useful if the leader gathers the payments into one central location before making one single transfer. This saves on your transfer fees.
Researching flight options and sharing this information with the group, organizing the flight bookings.
Accompanying the group (if relevant) being the first port of call between the group and Stepwell during the visit.
Undertaking the role of Loco Parentis as assigned by parents/guardians for the children in the group.
Coordinating with Stepwell on our safety protocol and risk management procedure.

Flight tickets and timings of arrival:
The flight tickets will be bought individually by the participants, or by the organization, depending on preference in collaboration with each other in the group so that they all plan to arrive at Stepwell at the same time. Stepwell advises that the tickets are bought through a travel provider that includes ATOL protection with the booking. Transport will be arranged from the airport to meet the flight that is chosen by the group. Some members may choose to travel further in India before or after the group, in which case please make sure that everyone is clear when to arrive at Bangalore airport to join the groups arrival. If you choose to arrive in Bangalore at a different time to the rest of the group you will need to cover the cost of your transport to your accommodation in India.

Preparation:
Once the booking is processed we will send the group leader a comprehensive preparation pack, with a draft itinerary, medical and travel information to share with the group, and a medical form to print out and ask each participant to complete.

Cancellation:
Cancellation of the booking by you will result in the loss of your deposit. Cancellation of the programme (by Stepwell) will result in the return of your deposit. Cancellation by you less than twelve weeks prior to the booking date will require payment in full. It is recommended that you take out travel insurance at the time of booking which may cover any costs of cancellations.

Privacy policy:
At Stepwell we take your privacy seriously and will only use your personal information to provide the products and services you have requested from us. However, from time to time we would like to contact you with details of other study visits we are running. If you consent to us contacting you for this purpose please tick to say how you would like us to contact you:

Independent liability (Relevant to adults in the group):
This visit is undertaken on the basis and understanding that the participants that are travelling are adults. Stepwell will guide and support to the best of their ability from the point of booking onwards, providing clear codes of conduct for health and safety, and they require that under this guidance each adult takes responsibility for their own personal safety throughout the trip and for being adequately insured before leaving the home country. Confirmation of this will be required as part of the medical /health and safety form.

Loco parentis assignment (School groups):
Parents/guardians will be asked to assign the role of loco-parentis to a named accompanying school staff member as the adult responsible for their child during the duration of the visit. He/ she will take full responsibility for the health and safety of their wards during the duration of the visit. Confirmation of this will be required as part of the medical /health and safety form.

Risk assessment process and Health and safety procedure:
Stepwell will send the group leader risk assessment information and health and safety documentation relevant to the trip. It is the responsibility of the adults in the group to fully read the information and details that relate to projects and operations undertaken by Stepwell within India. Please ensure that all parts of the risk assessment information have been fully read by all staff relating to this project, and that the relevant sections are fully completed, one copy retained by the school and another sent to us at Stepwell. All participants must follow our health and safety protocol (contained in our preparation information.)

We advise that each participant obtains relevant comprehensive travel insurance for travel in South India for the duration of the visit.
We advise that all participants/ organisation purchases their flights through an ATOL protected travel provider.
All participants (or participant’s parents/guardians if under 18) must complete and sign a medical and consent form containing health and safety details and code of conduct, which will be provided in the preparation information.
All participants are required to attend a health and safety advice talk on arrival in India and adhere to the code of conduct advised.