Wayfarers Outdoors

Wayfarers- starting people on the journey of learning and living outside, in nature.

All we do is based in our belief that everyone has a right to outdoor experiences, preferably in nature, where they can develop confidence and self-esteem.

We offer bushcraft days, corporate team-building, forest school and forest bathing along with foraging and woodland/ natural craft skills days.

Bushcraft is the art of 'thrival' in the wild. Through learning a range of skills including shelter building, fire making , water and food sourcing and preparation we can provide you with what you need for survival in relative comfort while you find tranquility from being out in nature.

Foraging
We offer seasonal courses to help people make a start in enjoying wild food and drink. These events include a walk to find a range of edibles which will them form part of a meal, cooked and shared together.

Wild Crafts
Have you ever wanted to carve a spoon? Join a Spoon and Stew event and we'll show you how then cook you lunch.
What about making cord from plant fibres? This makes a beautiful addition to jewelry or it can be woven into containers.
We also run seasonal and occasional craft workshops such as Christmas wreath making and bath bomb making.

Forest School is the name of a specific ethos – a way of working with children in an outdoor natural space for an extended period of time, ideally a full year. Qualified practitioners create programmes which are tailored to the needs of the individuals within the group with the aim of building participants’ self- esteem, confidence, independence and creativity. We offer forest school sessions of one and a half to two hours for groups of up to fifteen children in which children are given opportunities to engage in a range of learning which has been developed to meet the specific needs of the group. You can come to us or we can come to you.

As well as forest school, our Wild and Bushcraft Birthdays can accommodate up to 12 children. Activities include making camps with dens, fire lighting and outdoor cooking. The theme can be tailored to the group. Some may prefer arts and crafts based themes while others will want a survival theme. Wild parties run for two hours; Bushcraft parties run for either two or four hours. Talk to us – we can plan a party with a difference.

Forest Bathing - also known as Shinrin Yoku, a term was coined by the Japanese. It can be defined as making contact with and taking in the atmosphere of the forest. Through a guided meditative walk in woodlands, bathers engage with the feelings and experiences being in nature have to offer.

Where you can find us
We have access to two beautiful woodlands in North Somerset, we are able to come to other locations if that will be better for you. All we ask that there is a patch of green with grass and trees large enough to offer a sense of freedom.

Please visit our facebook page for details of upcoming courses:
https://www.facebook.com/wayfarersforestschool

The Important but Rather Dull Necessary Bit (Please read)
Sessions are run by a qualified leaders. All sessions have a staff member with a current, full outdoor first aid qualification in attendance. All staff are DBS checked.
Wayfarers Outdoor Education has full public liability insurance underwritten by Lloyds of London.

Our Terms & Conditions
Please ensure that you have read and agree to the following terms and conditions. By making a payment and booking, you are entering a binding contract with Wayfarers Outdoors based on these terms and conditions.

Definitions
Provider: Wayfarers Outdoors
Client: Individual/s or group paying for services
Event/walk/course/experience: These terms are used interchangeably and refer to whatever experience, walk, course or other you have paid for.

Notes for Agents: It is your responsibility to ensure that the clients you are representing understand the following terms and conditions. Failure to do will be the liability of the agent and not the provider.

Payment
Your place is reserved when either:
Full payment is received (public courses)
When a 50% deposit or full payment is paid for private/bespoke events.
The final payment is due 4 weeks before the event, or in circumstances where the booking is less than 4 weeks away, the full amount is due.
Payment is via Eventbrite or BACS.
There may be an additional charge (through your bank or external transfer company) if booking from abroad, which is beyond the control of the provider.

Responsibility of the Client/Agent
Client/s agree they are physically able to participate in activities and have given full details of any health needs, including allergies, to ensure an appropriate and safe event.
Client/s are aware of the potential risk of outdoor and wild food activities and acknowledge that every care is taken to avoid potential risks and injuries.
Clients take full responsibility for their own well-being on walks and courses and assume all risks, including acts of God, of injury, death, and/or loss to his/her person and/or property knowingly and voluntarily.

Personal belongings are the sole responsibility of clients. No liability is accepted for any personal belonging unless it is due to the provider’s negligence.

Client/s are expected to listen to advice/health and safety talks given and seek medical advice before participation where appropriate. Please note that the provider cannot give medical advice.

Client/s must always listen to and adhere to reasonable instructions by the provider.

All children and animals are the sole responsibility and should be under the control of the parent/carer/owner.

Client/s must arrive prepared, including appropriate clothing and footwear for the weather conditions. The event will go ahead in all weather, unless dangerous.

Cancellations/ Alterations by the provider
Whilst every reasonable effort is made to deal with such contingencies there may be occasions when the provider, through no fault of their own, is forced to, postpone, alter the date or time, cancel an event, bring an event to an early close, or to make ‘significant’ or ‘minor’ changes. These circumstances include; minimum numbers not reached (the nature of a course requires a minimum number of participants for it to be viable), natural variables, weather (which may include; gale force winds, torrential and consistent rain, sub-zero temperatures, other dangerous weather), illness, transport cancellations, natural disasters, acts of God, epidemic or terrorist activity, other unforeseeable situations.

All efforts will be made to inform the clients of these changes as soon as is practicably possible, this may be very short notice during or before the walk/course event.

In circumstances where an event is cancelled or the date is changed, the client will be offered the option to;

participate in an alternative date on a similar walk/ course/ event to the same value

participate in a different walk/ course/event and if the value is more, to pay (your responsibility) the difference in price or if the price is lower, be reimbursed the difference in price (providers responsibility)

If for some reason this is not possible, you will be offered a full refund.

Cancellation/Alterations by the Client
In circumstances where commitments cannot be adhered to the following costs will be incurred. The client acknowledges that such fees are acceptable due to the provider needing to plan for and administrate all courses:
Cancellations from the time of booking to 4 weeks before the walk/event will forfeit 50% deposit.
Cancellations of less than 4 weeks before the walk/event will incur a charge of the full amount.

Alterations to the date of your booking will incur a 10% administration fee and will need to be re-scheduled within 12 months of the original booking. If less than 1 week before the event your place/s will be forfeited.

Cancellations by the client due to weather are not acceptable, unless it is agreed with the provider that the weather is dangerous to go ahead in and therefore the event will have been cancelled, postponed or altered.

The Providers Responsibility
The Provider is not held by contract to provide a walk/ course/ event until the full cost is received.

All descriptions of walks/ courses/ events are intended as a guide-line only.

The Provider reserves the right to adapt and modify services as needed. Prices are as advertised or as agreed in writing.

The Provider will provide general information about wild food, though will not be held responsible for specific health information which is the area of a Medical Herbalist, GP or Health Professional.

The Provider reserves the right to remove any participant from a walk/ course/ event if their behaviour is deemed inappropriate on abusive.

All walks/courses/ events have been subject to a risk assessment, where this is not possible, the walk/ venue maybe risk assessed in situ. Alternatively, if the venue has been chosen by or is owned by the client, the client may be asked to risk assess the site.

Where walks/ courses/ events involve cooking, Wayfarers Outdoors staff are only present as a guide and physical safety is the responsibility of the client.

Lateness/Delays
If you know you are going to be late please make every effort to let the provider know (by mobile, NOT email) - 07817 713426.

The provider will wait for up to 10 minutes for late comers, subject to the agreement/needs of the clients present.

If the provider is late, all endeavours will be made to let you or someone in the group know, and please note Wayfarers Outdoors' mobile number for this reason.

If the provider’s transport is cancelled or severely delayed the walk/ course/ event may need to be postponed or cancelled. If this is the case, you will be reimbursed the amount paid for the walk/ course/ event and offered an alternative date.

Communication
The provider is committed to communicating clearly with clients within standard working hours, though may not be available at all hours suitable for the client/s, as working hours vary according to courses.

Please note that the provider is best contacted by text, especially at short notice on – 07817 713426, NOT by email.

All communication will be responded to as soon as possible, however some venues have poor phone reception where communication is not always possible. Emails will be responded to as soon as possible, which may be several days after they are sent.

Clients are expected to provide a mobile number in case the provider needs to be in contact on the day of the event.

Complaints/Grievances
In the unlikely event that a client has cause for complaint about an event, the complaint should be made to the provider during the event in order that corrective action can, if necessary and possible, be taken. The client acknowledges that it is unreasonable to take no action during a walk but to complain later. However, should a problem not be resolved, complaint should be made in writing within 28 days of the relevant walk. To the extent permitted in law the provider will not be liable in respect of claims first initiated later than 28 days from the close of the relevant walk.

Liability
Walks and woodland courses and events are by their very nature not free from hazard. The provider makes every effort to minimise risk to clients and instructs clients in the safe negotiation of such risks as may remain. Consequently, the client acknowledges that there are circumstances in which an accident could befall a client without the provider being at fault and accepts that he/she is taking part in a walk/ event at his/her own risk.

a) The provider only accepts liability for physical injury to a client that is proven to result from negligence on the part of the provider.

b) The client acknowledges that other loss, damage, injury and expense (including, without limitation to; loss of money, loss or damage to clothes and possessions, losses arising from the cancellation of a walk or events) is not the responsibility of the provider and that the provider’s liability is limited accordingly.

Insurance
Public Liability Insurance is held by the provider to the amount of £5million, any claims should therefore be limited to this amount. A copy of the P.L document can be seen on request.

The client is strongly advised to take out personal insurance of the type available to holiday makers, to cover the risks ordinarily covered by such policies, including personal injury, loss of belongings and money and cancellation.

Photography
Please remember that people in your photos may not want their image on social media. If you would rather your image does not appear in Wayfarers Outdoors social media or other publicity please let us know.

Disclaimer: Foraging
Foraging walks offer an introductory insight into wild foods available to you; how to identify them, distinguishing features, parts to use, preparation tips, recipe suggestions and common mistakes that could be made. No responsibility can be taken for participants future foraging carried out after and away from the provider’s supervision. It is highly advisable that all future foraging should be done under the supervision of a suitable professional, or else at the personal risk of those choosing to carry out such activities.

All materials supplied (images and written information) is meant as a guide only, and cannot be used as a substitute for professional on-site supervision. Only pick a plant if you are 100% certain of its identification and use, its conservation status and your right to pick it.