Terms and Conditions
We are new to WORD, where shall we start?
YAY! Welcome to WORD! First up, check out What is WORD? Then head over to our ‘More Info’ the Term Programmes and Holiday Camps where you’ll find most of what you need. Can’t wait to see you on the trails!
How is WORD Funded, why is WORD more expensive than a council holiday programme?
WORD is a registered, non-profit organisation with the New Zealand Charities Commission (NZ Charity Number CC50833). We operate on participant fees, grants (eg. from SportNZ), corporate partnerships and sponsorships, as well as individual donations from people like you.
We are a charity, and in the same way as say Salvation Army, Nuku Ora or Volunteer Services Abroad who are also all charities, we hold ourselves to an extremely professional standard. Our lead instructors all hold current 2 or 5 day first aid certificates; our instructors all hold at least a 1 day first-aid course; we run an annual instructor training; and we have robust child protection and safety systems that inform every decision we make. We are currently in the process of supporting a lot of seasoned instructors to sit their GSMBC level one certifications, and Nic is one of the few in NZ to hold a level two- a globally recognised qualification within the mountain bike tuition world.
We are the only youth mtb organisation in the entire Wellington region to be Adventure Activity Accredited (a legal requirement) to look after your young people, and we are safety audited annually, a process that see's our systems rigorously scrutinised by an external accreditor.
Whilst we could legally have two more kids per instructor, we intentionally adhere to strict 1:8 teaching ratio’s to keep your kids safe, and the learning personal. We are also proud to be working with the New Zealand Integrity Commission as one of a handful of organisations chosen to adopt and pilot the integrity code. We care about your kids and we want them to progress in a safe way; this is why we take every measure possible, cutting no corners, to deliver the best programmes for your whānau.
With this level of professionalism, comes a lot of administration. We run a super tight(!) team to make this charity work. Any help you can give us goes a long, long way. Check out our partners page here or reach out to Nic our CE to chat more
Terms and Conditions
I accept the Terms and Conditions of my child participating in this WORD programme, camp, or event. I attest to having read all information on the WORD website and pre course email and enter this programme, camp or event knowing full well the risks and demands involved.
Mountain biking is an inherently dangerous activity. Therefore I take personal responsibility for my child’s fitness, experience, actions and equipment during WORD.
During WORD I accept that my child will be exposed to some risks which may involve steep slopes, avoidable and unavoidable obstacles both person-made and natural on narrow trail and / or with poor traction. There will be exposure to the tracks outside edge. WORD Instructors and Assistant Instructors will take every possible step to ensure your safety, however your child can and may fall off the bike and possibly get injured or damage their bike or riding gear. We do everything we reasonably can to ensure the safety of the kids. As part of this, it is important that all kids follow all instructions given to them by the lead instructor during the after school programme, camp, or event. If a kid fails or refuses to follow any instructions at any time during the school programme, camp, or event. Word reserves the right to remove the kid from the camp immediately with no refund given.
Please note that completion of a booking form (including paying for a WORD programme, camp, or event) does not guarantee you a place on our programme, camp, or event. WORD reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to decline any booking as it sees fit. WORD has regard to a number of factors when deciding whether to accept bookings, including (but not limited to), a child’s riding competency and his/her health. If a child is not accepted on a WORD programme, camp or event, you will receive a full refund.
By signing on for a WORD programme, camp or event, I attest to have provided WORD with any known medical conditions or injuries, a valid and current In Case of Emergency Contact person and phone number. I authorise my child’s name, voice and picture to be used without payment in any capacity relating to this programme, camp or event by WORD.
Cancellations/ Refund Policy
Once you have booked onto a WORD course/camp/event the following applies:
More than 7 days before the start date: 80% refund
2-7 days before start date: 50% refund
48 hours before start date: no refund
Injury and miss 3 or more sessions: no refund, but guaranteed spot on next programme (contact us on info@word.org.nz)
Weather
WORD runs rain or shine…mostly. In the off chance that the weather is just awful, we will cancel the session.
Safety is a huge concern for us, and we don't want anyone to be put in harms way for the sake of a ride. We will post on the WORD Facebook page at noon on the day of your session if we are cancelling. This page is an open page, so you do not need to be on Facebook to view, sweet!
If we do end up canceling a session, we will try our hardest to add a ‘make up’ session at the end of term. If for some reason we are unable to provide this session, or we have a situation where more than one session is cancelled due to weather, WORD is not required to refund the session(s).
Privacy Statement
We collect personal information from you, including information about you and your child’s:
-Name
-Contact information
-Billing or purchase information
We collect your personal information in order to:
-Keep skills course/camp participants up to date with bookings
-Have an emergency contact for all skills course/camp participants
We will subscribe you to notifications and emails, however you can unsubscribe from these at anytime following the link in the email.
Providing some information is optional.
If you choose not to enter email address or contact phone number, we’ll be unable to keep you up to date with your booking in case of postponement or cancellation.
If you choose not to enter an in case of emergency contact we’ll be unable to allow your child to attend the course for safety reasons.
We keep your information safe by using HTTPS for all website transactions, all payments are secured by Stripe and only our Instructors and the WORD Board can see your information. You can view the Privacy Statement for the Services we use:
Bookwhen – Booking System
Jumbula Booking System (August 2025)
Stripe – Payments
You have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, please contact us at info@word.org.nz
Complaints Policy
WORD is committed to fairly handling complaints about its services- holiday camps, after school programmes and events. Any complaint will be investigated thoroughly and dealt with according to the merit of the complaint. The circumstances and results of any complaint are analysed by the WORD Board for their implications and acted on appropriately so as to remove any grounds for future complaint by improving functions.
Making Complaints
Clients may make complaints to us by way of email to info@word.org.nz or via this form Clients are advised that complaints must be made in writing so that there is no ambiguity as to what has been said should a verbal complaint be made.
Recording and Resolution of Complaint
All complaints are recorded.
WORD Board investigates the complaint.
Clients are notified of the outcome of the complaint within a reasonable time frame.
All complaints, resolution and improvement action are filed and recorded.
Dissatisfied Outcome
Should the client not be satisfied they may seek arbitration by a third party acceptable to all parties to the grievance.
If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved within 60 days from the occurrence of the complaint, the client may request WORD to seek the services of a third party.
Arbitration will be undertaken when both WORD and the client agree on a third party.
If the complaint/grievance is still unresolved, the client will be advised of external organizations of appeal.
Publishing Complaints Policy and Procedure
WORD publishes its complaints policy and procedure to clients on this, the WORD website.