FAQ

In previous years we have had groups of young people come with a leader, and we have had individual young people come on their own. So no, you don’t have to be part of a group to come to breathe!

You don’t need to be a Christian to come to breathe, but you need to know that the week consists of Christian teaching and Christian spiritual practices – if you think you might feel uncomfortable with that perhaps a different residential might be more up your street.

The week consists of a mix of activities. The Peak Centre offers a number of on-site activities which may include the Indoor Climbing Wall, Archery, Volleyball, Football, Rounders, Games (table football, pool table and table tennis). Off-Site activities in the past have included Go-Karting, Bike Ride, Hill-Top Communion service, and visit to a local town centre. Activities are confirmed closer to the Breathe!

Last year’s Breathe was fully booked and we had about 30 teenagers and 10 leaders. We hope to attract similar numbers again this year! Included on the leaders team are a number of qualified and/or experienced youth-workers. We also have some young children coming whose parents are on the leaders team.

There will be a code of conduct that outlines the boundaries of the residential, which all participants (leaders and young people) will be asked to sign – a copy is available below.   Download Code of Conduct

We recommend that young people bring no more than £30.00 (we are not saying they should bring that amount, it is parental discretion). We will operate a bank so monies can be kept securely, if a young person decides not to use this facility it will be at their own risk and if they should lose their money it will not be covered by us.

A full kit list is available below. It would also be really helpful if you could bring with you some cakes and/or biscuits we can use at supper time.

 

Download Kit List

Breathe and the Peak Centre WILL NOT permit Penknives (or similar), Drugs, Alcohol, or Smoking on site. Please do not bring these items with you, We have a very strict policy relating to Substances and Drugs, which could result in referrals to the police and/or expulsion from the residential. If you are a smoker please have a discrete word with us.

The terms and conditions of Breathe Contemporary Youth Retreat are outlined here.

Terms of contract

When we write to you accepting a booking for a place on Breathe, there will be an agreement between: Darlington Area Churches Youth Ministry, at Room 11, Bondgate Methodist Church, Salt Yard, Darlington, DL3 7JJ (“we” or “us”), and the Participant (“you”), and the parent or guardian of the Participant signing the form for the benefit of the Participant (“your parent or guardian”), as follows:

Our obligations

1. We will provide full board, accommodation and outings at the place, for the period and at the price set out in our publicity and on our website (“the Programme”) for Breathe. Breathe starts at 4pm on Sunday, 3rd August 2014, and ends at 10.30am on the day on which the Breathe ends.

2. We agree to provide the activities which will be confirmed prior to the commencement of Breathe. There is, however, no guarantee that every participant of a Breathe will be able to do all the activities booked.

3. We may cancel Breathe Contemporary Youth Retreat if:
a. the minimum number of participants required for Breathe to take place have not booked a place on Breathe six weeks before it is due to begin, provided that we have told you of such cancellation not less than 4 weeks before Breathe is due to begin; or
b. unusual and unforeseen circumstances arise which are beyond our control. In the event of such cancellation, we agree to return to you the deposit and any other part of the Breathe price already paid.

4. We undertake that the Leaders of Breathe (“the Leaders”) and the other voluntary workers on Breathe will exercise reasonable care in looking after you during Breathe.

5. Subject to conditions 2, 3 and 11, we will be liable to you or your parent or guardian for any damage caused to you or your parent or guardian by any failure to perform this Agreement or the improper performance of this Agreement unless the failure or the improper performance is due neither to our fault nor to a fault of the Leaders or other voluntary workers nor to the fault of a supplier of services engaged by us or the Leaders because (a) the failures which occur in the performance of the Agreement are attributable to you or your parent or guardian, or (b) such failures are attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of the services contracted for, and are unforeseeable or unavoidable, or (c) such failures are due to (i) unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond the control of us or the Leaders, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised, or (ii) an event which neither we nor the Leaders nor a supplier of services engaged by us or the Leaders, even with all due care, could foresee or forestall. Subject to this, neither we, nor our employees, agents and subcontractors, nor the Leaders or other voluntary workers shall be liable to compensate you and/or your parent or guardian in respect of any acts or omissions relating to the performance of this Agreement.

Your obligations

6. You, or your parent or guardian, agree to pay to us the balance of the price of Breathe not less than 4 weeks before Breathe is due to begin. Payment should be made by cheque (or other money order) made out to “Darlington Area Churches Youth Ministry”. The balance is made up of the total price of the Breathe stated in the publicity/letters less the initial deposit sent with the booking form. This balance shall be sent to Darlington Area Churches Youth Ministry, unless other directions for payment are given by or on behalf of the Leaders. In the event of nonpayment by the due date, we or the Leaders may cancel this Agreement forthwith.

7. You may cancel your place on the Breathe by notifying us in writing at any time before the balance of the price of Breathe is due. In the event of such cancellation, the initial deposit will be forfeited unless we decide otherwise. If you wish to cancel your place on Breathe on or after the date when the balance of the price of Breathe is due, you and your parent or guardian will owe us 50% of full fees if less than 4 weeks notice in writing is given, and 75% of full fees if less than 2 weeks notice in writing is given. If you cancel on or after the start date of Breathe, you will owe us the full fees.

8. If prior to the commencement of Breathe we become aware of any fact or matter that leads us to believe that your presence at Breathe will or may be incompatible with the running of Breathe or the well being of any other person or persons who will be present at Breathe, we in our absolute discretion may terminate this Agreement and you will not be able to attend Breathe. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Condition we will return to you the deposit and any other part of Breathe price already paid.

9. During Breathe, you and your parent or guardian agree to co-operate with the Leaders and any other person having authority at Breathe. In the event of you causing injury to any other person or damage to any property or being wilfully disobedient at any time during Breathe or if the Leaders have any reason to believe that your continued presence at Breathe is or may be incompatible with the running of Breathe or the well being of any other person or persons present at Breathe, the Leaders (or any person having authority under them) may exercise such reasonable discipline as is considered by them to be appropriate, and/or we and/or the Leaders may terminate this Agreement with immediate effect. In the event of this Agreement being terminated under this Condition, your parent or guardian shall, on being told of the termination, at their own expense collect you from Breathe forthwith, or make such arrangements for your collection as are necessary to remove you from Breathe site.

10. If, while you are at Breathe, you believe that we have failed to comply with the terms of this Agreement, you or your parent or guardian should inform the Leaders in writing at the earliest opportunity that you have to do so. You or your parent or guardian should also inform us of such failure in writing to our registered address as soon as you can and at the latest within 7 days after you return from Breathe.

11. If you or your parent or guardian suffer loss or damage (other than personal injury) for which compensation is payable by reason of the non-performance or improper performance of this Agreement, the amount of such compensation shall be limited to the price of Breathe.

12. Please note that we use photographs and video taken during Breathe in our publicity and marketing materials (which includes a range of media such as print brochures, videos and web sites). In accepting this contract, you agree that we may publish any photograph of you provided to us for inclusion in such materials.

Immunity of leaders and voluntary workers

13. You agree that the Leaders and other voluntary workers may enforce for their own benefit the final sentence of condition 5 and of conditions 11 and 13a and that section 1 of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 applies to confer such benefit on the Leaders and other voluntary workers.

Cancellation

14. If you want to cancel your place on a Breathe before final fees are due, you will lose your deposit. If you cancel on or after the date when the balance is due, you will owe us a proportion of fees (see paragraphs 3 and 7 of the Terms of Contract). If at the time of cancellation you have already paid more than you need to, we will refund the balance.

Insurance

15. Please make sure that personal items are covered by your own insurance. Darlington Area Churches Youth Ministry has Public Liability Insurance. In the light of our cancellation charges (see above), we recommend that you safeguard your possible loss of part or all of your holiday cost due to cancellation or curtailment by taking out cancellation and / or travel insurance. Details of one possible provider can be found at www.freetime-travel-insurance.com.