The application process
1. Read the 'Terms and Conditions' below
2. Fill in the Project Application Form (please click) and send as an attatchment via email to: experience.culture@live.com. Please note applications are nly accepted electronically
3. Once your application form has been received an email confirming the receipt and giving details of your deposit payment
4. Once your deposit has been received a confirmation letter will be sent confirming your place on the project(s) and giving payment details as well as further information of what you need to do in preparation for your trip. Please note your place on one of our programmes is only confirmed when your deposit has been received.
5. Once full payment has been received a letter containing final preparation advice and contact information for your project(s) will be sent. Please note full payment must be made by 30 days before placement(s) commence
Experience Culture Volunteer Terms & Conditions
In order to provide you with the very best service, we require that you read our policies. At the bottom of the application form you will be required to check a box to say that you have read and understood the terms and conditions of volunteering with Experience Culture
1. Obligations
1.1 User agreement between the user (‘’User’’, ‘‘you’’, “volunteer”) and Experience Culture ( Experience Culture, ‘‘we’’,’’us’’). Please read these terms and conditions of use(‘’Terms and Conditions’’) before submitting the application form. You consent to these Terms and Conditions when you tick the box on the application form. If you disagree with any part of the Terms and Conditions, you may not submit an application form.
1.2 You agree to be bound by the following obligations, including without limitation;
A. You accept financial responsibility for all transactions, made under your name or account.
B. You must be 17 years of age or over and have legal capacity.
C. You warrant that all information you provide about yourself or anyone else shall be true and accurate.
D. The website must not be used for speculative, false or fraudulent applications.
E. The transmission of threatening, defamatory, pornographic, political, or racist material or any material that is otherwise unlawful is expressly prohibited.
F. You must insure you have obtained your own comprehensive Travel/medical insurance that covers your full project dates, including any activities you may embark on during your time in Uganda (trekking/rafting…)
2. Projects
2.1 Experience Culture accepts participants on its projects on the basis that they fully appreciate the inherent risks and in particular the risk of personal accident, disease and medical complications in a third world and tropical environment.
2.2 Participants are accepted on the understanding that general flexibility is a necessary prerequisite for the type of projects that are organised by Experience Culture. Participants understand that public and private transport delays and breakdowns may occur. In addition, local regulations and protocol may be rigidly applied by regional and district officials and may result in delays. Communication between Experience Culture headquarters and the field may be irregular. Experience Culture will use all reasonable endeavours to rectify any problems.
2.3 Whilst Experience Culture projects are advertised in good faith, participants acknowledge that the weather and culture are different and unpredictable compared to that of the UK, and that Experience Culture gives no representation that a participant will enjoy any particular weather condition or experience while participating on a project.
2.4 The length of a project is calculated from the project start date. Participants should ensure that they have sufficient funds to cover their food, travel, and accommodation in-country prior to the commencement of their project and after it expires.
2.5 Participants are responsible for be in possession of a valid passport, comprhensive medical and travel insurance, and of any visas and vaccination certificates required for the whole of their participation. Participants shall also obtain all other vaccinations which are necessary or desirable for the countries in which the project is held within the necessary timescales and agree to comply with all entry, immigration, customs and foreign exchange rules thereof. Specific assistance and advice will be given by Experience Culture in good faith but it is the participant’s responsibility to ensure that the correct documentation and insurance is obtained and completed and that the correct advice is obtained.
3. Application, Booking and Payment
3.1 A participant secures a place on a project by paying the amount of the non-refundable deposit specified of a project place and shall pay the balance of the project contribution specified in accordance with the payment deadlines set out. Experience Culture shall be entitled to treat a participant’s application as withdrawn and to offer his/her place elsewhere if any amount becomes overdue.
3.2 The information and/or prices shown on the website are updated from time to time and therefore may have changed by the time you come to book your volunteer placement. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of all such information and prices, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen placement or travel arrangements (including the price) at the time of booking. In the event that an incorrect price has been entered in error, any booking made based on such incorrect price will not be valid. You will be advised of the mistake at the earliest opportunity and you will then have the option either to pay the correct price for the travel arrangements or to cancel and receive a full refund of any monies you may already have paid.
3.3 Experience Culture reserves the right to cancel any placement due to terrorism, natural disasters, political instability or other extreme events which make it unviable for Experience Culture volunteers to operate the planned schedule. The company is not liable for the costs incurred as a result of your application such as visas, non-refundable flights, vaccinations or loss of enjoyment
3.4 While Experience Culture will endeavour to operate all placements as advertised, reasonable changes may be made where deemed necessary or advisable. If the change is due to force majeure or unforeseen circumstances no compensation is payable.
4. Cancellation and Refund policy
4.1 You may cancel the booking at any time provided that the cancellation is communicated to Experience Culture in writing. Calculated charges will be applied, as shown below, calculated from the day when written notice is received by Experience Culture.
4.2 All applicants pay a non-refundable deposit of £250
4.3 Cancellations received up to 30 days before expected day of arrival will receive 100% of placement fee (less deposit)
4.4 Cancellations received 30 days or less before expected day of arrival will receive no refund whatsoever.
4.5 Experience Culture is not liable for any cost incurred by volunteers due to their cancellation.
5. Force Majeure
5.1 Experience Culture shall have no liability to any participant to make any refund or in respect of any other loss or damage suffered by a participant as a result of the curtailment, suspension, alteration or the cancellation of a project caused by and/or any other consequences of any event of force majeure occurring.
5.2 “force majeure” shall mean fire, lightning, explosion, earthquake, storm, tempest, hurricane, flood, landslide, outbreak of infectious disease, imposition of quarantine, government or other official intervention, the threat or outbreak of war, riot, civil commotion, the threat or an act of terrorism, loss, theft or damage to strategic equipment, hijacking, nuclear disaster or other event or circumstance arising which is beyond the control of Experience Culture.
6. Insurance
6.1 Participants are required to purchase comprhensive medical and travel insurance in respect of their participation on their project details of which have been provided to Experience Culture. The participant must ensure that their insurance covers them for the type of work and activities in which the participant will be involved in the country of the project and through any other country via which the participant deploys, includes an adequate level of cover for emergency medical expenses and medical evacuation cover and provides cover in respect of such additional perils as is appropriate to the participant's individual circumstances.
7. Indemnity
7.1 The participant hereby agrees to indemnify Experience Culture from and against all loss, damage and liability which Experience Culture may suffer or incur as a result of his/her act, neglect or default while participating on a project.
8. Interphase
8.1 Where a participant attends consecutive phases of a project, they are alone responsible for their individual safety, accommodation, food and fitness during the inter-phase period and Experience Culture accepts no responsibility whatsoever for them.
9. Complaint
9.1 A participant who has a complaint against Experience Culture should make it in writing Managing Director as soon as the subject of the complaint arises. Experience Culture will not, other than in exceptional circumstances, entertain a complaint following the end of a project unless it has been the subject of a written complaint to the Managing Director received during the time of the project.
10. Privacy policy
10.1 Experience Culture agrees to keep all information relating to participants confidential and that it shall not provide any such information to any third party, save that Experience Culture may, with the prior written consent of a participant, provide their details to other participants on the same project.
11. Variation and conflict
11.1 No employee of Experience Culture has authority to vary these conditions.
11.2 In the event of any conflict between any of these conditions and any other document issued by, or on behalf of, Experience Culture these conditions shall prevail, unless otherwise indicated in writing.
12. Liability
12.1 The website is provided on an ‘as is’ and ‘as available’ basis. We do not accept any liability in respect of your ability to access or use the site at any time or for any interruption in that access or use or for any failure to complete any transaction.
12.2 Although providing support in the UK, when the volunteer arrives in their designated country they are their own responsibility and liability, and must ensure they have medical and travel insurance to cover this.
12.3 Experience Culture accepts participants on its projects on the basis that they fully appreciate the inherent risks of international travel and in particular the risk of personal accident, disease and medical complications in a third world and tropical environment. By becoming a volunteer, you acknowledge and accept these risks and those associated with living and working in developing countries. Experience Culture, and its contacts abroad (Mukono Health Centre, Mukono Children’s Home and Kasenege Organic Farm), shall not be responsible or liable whatsoever to a participant for any claim from personal injury, illness, death, emotional upset, war, terrorism, accident, delay, discomfort, disease, medical complications, expense, disappointment and/or financial loss, which a participant may sustain during or by virtue of his/her participation on a project.
12.4 As a volunteer you must appreciate and understand that some activities may be outside of your personal insurance cover, you must obtain insurance to cover this.
12.5 Experience Culture and its contacts are not responsible for any financial obligations or liabilities the participant may incur including damages to property, or injury to others while participating on this program.
12.6 The client appreciates and acknowledges that the nature of this type of travel requires considerable flexibility and should allow for alternatives. The ‘experience’ of each placement is merely a representation of the type of placement contemplated and Experience Culture is under no contractual obligation to follow it.
13. What we DO provide
13.1 Experience Culture provides an Independent Travel Experience by setting up contacts abroad for volunteers. While on a designated project, our contacts abroad will do all they can to insure a volunteers safety and happiness, within reason, while on their project.
13.2 Experience Culture shall provide, and the project contribution shall cover as listed below;
* A base and network for an independent travel experience
* Good contacts within Uganda and the local community to offer help and advice where possible
* Opportunity to choose what your money gives to the projects (only available for Children‘s
Home, donations to Medical Centre are put where they are needed most)
* Opportunity to see the difference your donation makes.
* Support and contact before your project commences - we encourage volunteers to meet before going away and to organise fundraisers to aid funding of volunteer work.
* 60% of the money will be donated to the volunteers chosen project
* Advise and help is offered regarding Ugandan Visas, when asked for it
13.3 Experience Culture encourages:
* People to be proactive and research materials and resources to take with them
* Volunteers to meet before/during/after the experience
* Volunteers to get involved in all aspects of community life while living in Uganda
13.4 Experience Culture aims to provide an independent travel experience, allowing the volunteer to submerse themselves in the local culture and community.
14. What we DO NOT provide
14.1 Experience Culture does not provide any medical services (such as doctors, nurses or any other medically qualified staff), the participant accordingly undertakes to take all reasonable care of him/herself and all others with whom he/she reasonably foresees he/she may come into contact on the project. Therefore, the volunteer must obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance that covers all areas of their project and other extra activities (sightseeing, transport, safari tours, rafting etc…) prior to commencement of their project. If not their contract with be void.
14.2 Experience Culture is not responsible for the cost of extra activities (sightseeing, transport, safari tours, rafting, language classes etc…) incurred during the course of your project.
14.3 In view of practical constraints, Experience Culture cannot undertake to provide for specialist diets during the project.
14.4 It is the duty of each participant to provide all equipment of a personal nature which may be required specific to his/her personal needs.
14.5 Accommodation and all transport are the volunteer's responsibility, and expected to be arranged prior to arrival in country.
15. Attitudes and Activities
15.1 If Experience Culture is made aware that you are disruptive during your placement we will treat your registration with Experience Culture as cancelled by you from that moment. No refunds or compensation will be paid to you and we may make a claim against you for any costs and expenses incurred as a result of your behaviour. Criminal proceedings may also be instigated.
15.2 Coordinators/managers/placement hosts can refuse to accommodate any volunteer at their workplace who appears to be a risk to himself/herself and those they are volunteering for or who is bringing the organisation they are working for, their coordinator or Experience Culture into serious disrepute (this could include aggressive behaviour, slanderous comments, no regular volunteering presence, alcoholism affecting their contribution or those around them etc). Furthermore, Experience Culture will not allow you to volunteer at any future placements should any of the above occur. Also, Experience Culture will not enter into discussion once a decision has been made by our overseas partners/representatives and no refund will be payable.
15.3 Volunteers must comply with all UK law, the laws of the countries in which the project is held, the policies of the community in which they volunteer, and/or the rules of the accommodation host, failure to do so will result in the termination of your program and forfeiture of all program fees.
15.4 Volunteers are required to:
Acknowledge that possession of illegal substances is a grave violation of Experience Culture policy, and if discovered will result in the immediate cancellation of your program. Participants are cautioned that the possession of drugs is often dealt with severe punishment by host country law enforcement.
Be aware of the potential hazards of becoming involved in a sexual relationship with local people in the country which you are volunteering. (ie: HIV, STDs)
Dress properly with regard to the local culture, as well as weather conditions. Realize what is socially acceptable in western countries, can be considered offensive in others.
Avoid all political demonstrations and activities. Remember you are guests in the host country and subject to local laws and punishment.
You must respect the policies and rules of the placement in which you are volunteering, and pay for any damage you may cause.
16 What you must provide
16.1 Applicants are asked to provide the following when they have received a confirmation email of their place on a project:
* Photocopy of your valid passport
* Passport sized photo
* Photocopy of your comprehensive Travel/Medical insurance summary and receipt that covers your project dates and any activities you may embark on during your placement
17 Acknowledgements
17.1 The participant acknowledges that Experience Culture shall be entitled to withdraw a participant's place on a project without any compensation where they have breached any of the above or in any other circumstances where their conduct is inconsistent with the efficient operation of the project.
