Cancellations made two calendar months or more before the start of the retreat will be refunded upon request, minus a £5.00 administration fee. If you cancel within two calendar months of the retreating starting date, you will lose your deposit. The same rule applies if you ask to be transferred to another course.
The only exception to this is when the cancellation is caused by a Covid or other serious infection. We make this exception so that no matter what the disappointment, the applicant has more of an incentive to put the teachers and group first. Although the new variants are not as powerful, they can still cause long Covid.
The reason we have come to this strict policy is because of the unprecedented number of cancellations since reopening after the covid lockdown. Last year, 53% of all bookings were cancelled! Groups are small, maximum 8 and often smaller. In a group of six, for instance, there were four cancellations, none for reason of Covid.
It is difficult to build group energy and support when the numbers are very small and we already start with a small number.
And it obviously has an effect on our revenue from donations too. The deposit barely covers our basic running costs but not the upkeep of the centre or any improvements needed for the longer term, and we rely on post-retreat donations for the bulk of our income. Very often, a cancellation within two months of the starting date results in us losing both the energy of the retreatant's presence and any donation they might give. Therefore, to ensure the financial viability of Satipanya, the Trustees have decided that deposits should not be refunded for cancellations / transfer requests made within two months of the retreat.
We are presuming that many cancellations are caused by booking too early out of eagerness to join a course. So, this is a plea to please make a booking only when you are able to make a firm commitment.
Many thanks for your generous consideration,
Trustees.