CYE Events

Bookings are secured when we acknowledge your completed booking form and deposit.

• Cancellations must be in writing.
• All deposits are non-refundable.
• If you cancel within eight weeks of the event, 50% of the event costs are due.
• If you cancel within four weeks of the event 100% of event costs are due.
• In the event of you cancelling your booking, we will invoke the cancellation charges listed above. We therefore recommend that, to safeguard your possible loss of part or all of your holiday cost due to cancellation or curtailment, you take out cancellation and/or travel insurance.
• Photographs and video are sometimes taken by CYESC for publicity purposes; please contact the Centre if you do not want to be included in this or opt out on the second booking page online.
• Every effort will be made to run events as advertised. However we reserve the right to cancel at any time where numbers fail to meet a workable minimum.
• If conditions are unsuitable for the safe running of an event or activity, we will endeavour to offer a practical alternative to the advertised course or planned programme.
• All activities are physically demanding and require participants to lift, bend, stretch, jump etc. You should ensure you have an adequate level of fitness for the activities here. We recommend that you check with your doctor if any medical conditions or disability affect participation. We are keen to include everyone and we will make every effort to adapt activities for those with disability or medical condition where required and it is safe to do so.
• We will cater for your dietary needs as long as you have informed us of them at the time of booking, using the appropriate section of the booking form.
• Smoking and consumption of alcohol are not permitted at the Centre.
• Participants bringing their own buoyancy aids should have them checked by staff prior to using them on the water.
• A safety briefing will be given to all those attending an event at CYESC. Participants are required to comply with that briefing and the rules of the centre during their stay. In addition, during your stay, you are responsible for reading and complying with the safety information displayed in your cabin.

Schools and Groups

For weekday bookings the Centre is available from 11 am on the first day until 2 pm on the last day.

For weekend bookings the Centre is available from 7pm on Friday until 4pm on Sunday.

Please contact the Centre at an early stage if you require anything outside of these times.

Please note - groups and schools arriving on a weekday morning will need to bring a packed lunch and groups and schools arriving on a Friday evening will need to have had or bring a packed dinner.

There will be an Event Leader (a member of CYESC staff) in charge of all aspects of your stay.  They will liaise with you on arrival and during your stay, ensuring your programme meets your needs. They will also greet you and be there to look after you as you settle in. Your Event Leader will remain your first port of call throughout your stay, although they will hand over the management of activities to other senior staff members from time to time. There will also be a Duty Staff Member at all times who will be available at night in case of emergency.

CYESC provides a fully qualified and experienced team to lead activities. Many of these are full time staff, with some qualified and approved volunteers (most of whom are ex-staff who love to come back to help out). We value training and safety extremely highly and so all our staff have up to date qualifications from the relevant bodies (for example, RYA for sailing, BCU for kayak and canoeing, GNAS for Archery). We adhere to the necessary leader to participant ratio’s (as defined by the relevant bodies) and try to exceed these where possible.

The timetable for schools and groups using the Centre will include a Christian assembly / input most days.  These are designed to inform those attending about the Christian message in a relevant, exciting and meaningful way, without preaching or being pushy.  The detail of these assemblies / talks can be discussed with group leaders / teachers prior to the visit in order to best cater for the individuals in their group. The programme and activities (like assemblies) that we run follow the OFSTED guidelines for helping children and adults engage with their spiritual and moral development. At CYESC, we want every person who comes through our gates to know that they are an individual person with unique abilities, thoughts, fears and passions.

If you discover an emergency situation, please ensure that the duty staff member is informed as soon as possible (phone extension 202 from the ship). This includes all injury or illness. Even if you are first aid qualified, we would ask that you contact us about treatment or action. All of our full time staff are First Aid trained and all injuries must be recorded in our accident book. A number of First Aid kits are situated around the site including the ship and briefing room.

For every activity that we undertake, we can provide full Risk Assessments and Operating Procedures for your perusal. CYESC is licensed for activities under the Adventure Activity Licensing Authority and is inspected biannually by them.  It is also a Royal Yachting Association recognised Teaching Establishment and a British Canoe Union approved centre, and as such, inspected by both Governing Bodies annually.  In addition CYESC receives regular inspections and spot checks by the Health and Safety Executive and Environmental Health Office.

We strongly recommend that you obtain insurance for cancellation, personal accident and organiser’s liability, if you have not already done so. See below regarding cancellation charges. Please contact us if you do not have an insurance policy and require additional information. The centre has a comprehensive insurance cover for third party liability risks.

4-8 weeks prior to the start of the event - full fees due

8-12 weeks prior to the start of the event - half of the total event fee is payable

12 weeks or more - non refundable deposit is retained by us

Minimum group numbers are 25, which ensures exclusive use of the centre for the duration of your stay.

It is important there is no ambiguity regarding responsibility for members of a group during their visit. Specific details regarding the operation and safety of activities are available in the relevant policy documents. Please note - the term CYESC Staff includes approved volunteers working as staff.

All organised activities will be led by suitably qualified and experienced staff following CYESC policies. These policies are in accordance with Adventure Activity Licensing Authority and other Governing Body recommendations. Activities begin when members of the group are changed and congregate at the agreed meeting area. They end when the activity leader sends the group from the activity to change under the care of the group leader.

CYESC staff will provide group leaders with full support during their stay. A duty staff member is on duty at all times and can be contacted through the night if first aid care is required or if there are any problems with the facilities. The event leader will provide any assistance required to deal with any problem or emergency.  Outside of activity sessions the group leader (i.e. a non-CYESC staff or volunteer) assumes sole charge of the group, namely:

1. During meal times
2. Through the night
3. During free time between activities
4. When the group is changing
5. During games and activities led by the group leader

It is important to note however, that Department for Education and Skills guidelines state that:

“the group leader and teachers retain ultimate responsibility for pupils at all times during adventure activities, even when the group is under instruction by a member of the provider’s staff. The provider is responsible for the safe running of an activity.”

Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits – a good practice guide (p30)

CYESC is committed to providing groups with care, attention and a high quality of activity supervision. Groups can be assured of our full attention during their event.