THE SOCIAL GROUP

CORNWALL, DEVON SOUTH, DEVON NORTH, SOMERSET, BRISTOL & BATH

TERMS & CONDITIONS

A ready made social life! An organised programme of social events!

Hundreds of members! Hundreds of events! The best way to meet people & make friends!

An instant ‘group of friends’ to enjoy everything with! Lots of fun, good times, & good company!

Please join as a Social Group Member before you take part in anything.
Regrettably, we are not able to offer free sample / taster events before you join.

NEW MEMBERS - people who have not been Social Group Members before...

A SPECIAL INTERNET DISCOUNT IS OFFERED FOR NEW MEMBERS!!

PRINT THE JOIN FORM OFF THE HOME PAGE OF THIS WEB SITE

AND SAVE £20pp ON STANDARD SOCIAL GROUP MEMBERSHIP!!

SUPERB VALUE - JOIN FOR 12 MONTHS FOR JUST 60pp!!

Standard Membership reduced from £80pp to just £60pp when you use the Join Form on this web site.

SOCIAL GROUP MEMBERSHIP ENTITLES PEOPLE :

(1) To become a Social Group Member, with an official photo-personalised Social Group Member ID Card (subject to approval from the organisers)

(2) To be able to attend social events offered in the current issue of Social Group Magazine at member prices (subject to availability)

WE OFFER A CHOICE OF

STANDARD MEMBERSHIP

OR V.I.P. MEMBERSHIP

ANNUAL JOIN FEES - STANDARD MEMBERSHIP 2008

12 months membership

NEW MEMBERS

START £80 per person - equivalent to just £1.54 per week

Includes Welcome Pack with one issue of Social Group Magazine (with Events Programme)

SPECIAL OFFER - INTERNET SAVER - £20 OFF STANDARD MEMBERSHIP FOR NEW MEMBERS WHEN YOU JOIN USING THE INTERNET DISCOUNT JOIN FORM WHICH CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM THE HOME PAGE OF THIS WEB SITE - STANDARD MEMBERSHIP REDUCED TO JUST £60pp FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN MEMBERS OF THE SOCIAL GROUP BEFORE!

EX-MEMBERS

RE-JOIN £60 per person for 12 months - equivalent to just £1.15 per week

If ex-members wish to take part in Social Group events, they are asked to re-join first. A discount price is offered to all ex-members.

EX-MEMBERS ARE WELCOME ON OUR HOLIDAYS

Ex-members are very welcome to book for Social Group Holidays at member prices, plus an extra £25 per person for 3 MONTHS TEMPORARY MEMBERSHIP covering the period of the holiday, including a free Social Group Magazine posting out.

CURRENT MEMBERS

RENEW £50 per person (when paid before expiry date) - equivalent to just 96p per week

+ £15 per extra adult members living at the same address as a current member - Couple / Family Saver

DON’T FORGET - THERE ARE NUMEROUS DISCOUNT COUPONS IN THE CURRENT ISSUE OF SOCIAL GROUP MAGAZINE, SAVING MONEY FOR CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE SOCIAL GROUP!

STANDARD MEMBERSHIP DOES NOT INCLUDE :

The provision of any food and drink, entertainment, admissions, venue hire, transport, or accommodation.

Booking fees - which contribute towards the running costs and help make the whole organisation viable - prices start from just a few pounds and are very good value, with plenty to suit all tastes and all pockets!

ANNUAL JOIN FEES - V.I.P. MEMBERSHIP 2008

12 months membership

VIP MEMBERSHIP £250 per person - equivalent to just £4.80 per week

Includes one issue of Social Group Magazine posted out upon joining.

Includes one issue of Social Group Magazine posted out at the start of each new events programme during the period of membership,

as soon as this is published and available, as far as is possible.

Includes as many standard events as VIP members wish to book for - for FREE - subject to availability, during the period of membership. This includes nearly all the dining out meals, all the walks, and many of the outdoor activities!

Includes a discount on all our bigger events and activities - subject to availability, during the period of membership.

Includes a discount on all Social Group holidays - subject to availability, during the period of membership.

V.I.P. MEMBERSHIP DOES NOT INCLUDE :

The provision of any food and drink, entertainment, admissions, venue hire, transport, or accommodation.

MEMBERSHIP

People pay the Join Fee for the organisers to do the work to join them as a member of The Social Group. All applicants must complete, sign, and submit a Join Form to join as a member of The Social Group. The Join Form is a legally binding contract between the applicant and Social Group Enterprises Ltd. in which applicants agree to abide by the Terms & Conditions of membership. All applicants confirm that the details they give are true and correct. When joining as a Social Group member, a person agrees to abide by the Terms & Conditions and not do anything or act in any way which would cause damage, harm or embarrassment to The Social Group.

Upon receipt of the initial welcome pack containing the full Terms & Conditions of membership, the Members Charter, and details of the current programme of events, new members are given a no obligation 7 day cooling off period in which to decide if they do not wish to go ahead with Social Group membership. After the 7 day cooling off period, each person who has not cancelled and who has decided to go ahead and become a Social Group member, is confirming they accept the Terms & Conditions of membership and agreeing to abide by all of this. The Terms & Conditions of membership apply to everyone who becomes a Social Group member. 12 months membership starts from the month people join.

All applicants must supply 2 recent passport size photographs - one is kept on file, the other is used to make a Member ID Card. Photographs must be an accurate and recent likeness, passport style and size.

Organisers reserve the right of admission to The Social Group, and may turn down any application for membership from any individual.

WELCOME PACKS

All new members receive a Welcome Pack which includes a photo-personalised Member ID Card with an individual Member ID Number on it, and one current issue of Social Group Magazine for the area they live in.

Applicants should normally hear from us within 7-14 days, except at busy times, or if the office is closed for holidays. If applicants don’t provide everything required, this may cause delays. If applicants have provided everything, and do not hear from us within 30 days of payment being received, applicants will be entitled to a full refund.

People who are re-joining or renewing at the Standard Renewal / Re-join Membership rate do not get a copy of Social Group Magazine included in the Join Fee price, as they may already have a magazine. An extra copy of Social Group Magazine or another issue for another area costs £6 for members and £12 for non-members. (No additional charge for p&p).

SOCIAL GROUP MAGAZINE

Social Group Magazine contains news, reviews, jokes, articles, and features. Plus the ‘What’s On’ programme of events for the local area.

A future issue of Social Group Magazine can be collected free of charge when members book for and attend a Magazine Collection social event. No cash value. If people with a Standard Membership do not book for and attend a Magazine Collection social event, extra issues of Social Group Magazine will cost £6 each. (No additional charge for p&p).

VIP members will be posted their new magazines free of charge as soon as they are published, as far as is possible.

Details and prices of events are as accurate as possible at the time of going to print.

Social Group Enterprises Ltd. reserve the right to change, adapt, or cancel events as necessary. There is no guarantee that events will run.

MEMBERSHIP JOIN FEES - REFUNDS POLICY

We make it clear we provide a programme of social, leisure, recreational, sporting, and cultural events. We expect everyone to have understood what we do and what we are before becoming members of The Social Group. There is an abundance of information available prior to joining. Our web sites contain plenty of text and hundreds of photographs for people to be able to make an informed choice prior to joining. Or people can purchase a copy of the Social Group Photo Album, which also gives a very good idea of what we are all about and the sort of things we do.

Applicants pay the Join Fee to become a Social Group Member. Once we have received an applicants completed Join Form, two passport sized photographs, and the correct payment, we do the work to join the applicant as a member and send out a Welcome Pack. At that time, applicants become Social Group members.

If applicants do not wish to proceed, they should return the Welcome Pack to us in the same condition which we sent it out, and may request a refund within 7 days of receipt of the Welcome Pack. After this 7 day cooling off period, refunds cannot be paid on Membership Join Fees. Any refund given on Membership Join Fees will be sent out within 30 days. Applicants will not be entitled to any refund if they have used, accepted or benefited from the Magazine in any way, if they have used or copied any of the information in the Magazine in any way, if they have booked for or attended an event, or if they have accepted or used our services in any way. If the ID Card is not returned, we will charge £6 for this. If the Magazine is not returned, we will charge £12 for this. If the Magazine is returned damaged, torn, or marked - or looks read, thumbed or creased - we will make a charge of £12 for this. If applicants purchase a list of contacts and get in touch with any of them, they have used our services and not entitled to any refund of this fee or of any join fees. No refunds can be given for payments for a list of contacts purchased from us. Any photographs submitted cannot be returned. Payments for magazines and other publications are non-refundable.

If members choose to cancel their membership after the 7 day cooling off period, they accept that no membership join fees can be refunded.

TAKING PART IN EVENTS

It is for members to make the effort to make the most of their membership. The onus is on members to keep in touch with what is happening and to make the effort to book for events in good time and turn up on the day. Organisers are under no obligation to chase people up and remind them to take part. If members do not take part in events and do not make use of their membership, members accept this is their own choice.

The Social Group do not provide transport to events. The Social Group does not guarantee lifts / transport will be available.

Members are required to be able to get to events under their own steam, to manage to take part in events under their own steam, to be able to cope with normal social situations, to be polite and well mannered, and to not be disruptive.

The Social Group is under no obligation to provide regular events in one particular area. Members agree that organisers can include whatever events they wish in the events programme. Members accept the events programme does vary each time. Members accept that organisers try to put on events for members in other areas to be fair to everyone. Members accept that not everything can take place in their own area.

EX-MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO RE-JOIN

Ex-members cannot be invited to events as ‘guests’. If ex-members want to take part in Social Group events, they are invited to re-join.

Ex-members are welcome to take part in the holidays with us at member prices, but need to re-join first. We offer a temporary 3 months discounted membership for ex-members booking a holiday with us, for just £25 extra, which includes a free magazine posting out.

PHOTOGRAPHS

All members give consent for organisers to take their photographs at events and publish them on the web sites, in publicity material, and in Social Group Magazine. Which photographs are published by The Social Group is entirely at the discretion of organisers. All members accept and agree with this.

Organisers do not wish to display photographs which they feel would embarrass people.

All members accept that all photographs taken by organisers at our social events are wholly the property and copyright of SGE Ltd. All members accept that it is illegal to download or copy images from the web sites or copy images Social Group Magazine without permission. Anyone doing this is breaking copyright laws.

SMOKE-FREE POLICY

The 2007 NO SMOKING LAW states that nobody is allowed to smoke in enclosed public places. In accordance with this, for everyone’s comfort, all Social Group events, activities, and holidays are Smoke-Free. Smoking is not permitted anywhere near other Social Group members at anything we organise, including outdoor events. Anyone wishing to smoke should do so outdoors and well away from other Social Group members. Anyone smoking at our events near Social Group members will have their Social Group membership cancelled.

On overseas group holidays, regardless of local laws, we have to be mindful that we could be sued for allowing people to smoke and inflict harm on others, so anyone smoking near other Social Group members will be asked to leave the holiday and expected to make their own way home. If you need to smoke, please do so away from other members, thank you.

DATA PROTECTION

In accordance with the Data Protection Act, personal details are kept safe and secure, and never passed onto third parties for marketing.

Information given to The Social Group is confidential and members can be assured of our discretion. Contact names and telephone numbers can be disclosed to other members looking for friends and to share lifts with (a service for which we make a charge). If members would like us not to give out their telephone number to other members looking for friends, members should tick the box on the Join Form.

We never give out the telephone number of a specific individual if someone asks - for obvious safety, privacy, & possible harassment reasons. Other personal details are never disclosed.

Members should state their Member ID Number when they contact organisers. This is a security measure for the benefit of all members.

DO NOT CONTACT VENUES DIRECTLY - OUR ARRANGEMENTS ARE PRIVATE CONTRACTS

Members agree not to interfere with Social Group bookings and contracts. It is illegal for members to check up on or interfere with contracts made between The Social Group and other companies, so please do not contact any venues / management directly.

Members agree not to contact venues and add themselves an extra place if they are told an event is full or if they have not booked in time.

NO GATE-CRASHERS

All events must be booked in advance. Members agree not to go to events unless they have booked a place with The Social Group. If members have not booked in advance for an event, they should not just “pop along” or just “turn up” on the day.

Unless stated, if members do not intend taking part, they should not just turn up to watch - events are for participants only.

Anyone turning up to take part in an event without booking will be asked to leave, and anyone responsible may have their membership cancelled. Gatecrashers are not welcome.

Please do not try to bring guests to events stated as ‘Members Only’. Please do not have guests just turn up with members without paying for them to take part and without booking a place for them in advance. If members want to bring someone with them last minute, please contact the Social Group Office and ask us if this is possible.

The Social Group needs to charge a small booking fee to make the organisation viable. All members accept and agree with this necessity.

Anyone attempting to by-pass the Social Group join fee or the Social Group booking process is engaged in an illegal act. Anyone deliberately trying to circumvent Social Group organisers and participate in a Social Group event with other Social Group members without booking through The Social Group is engaged in an illegal act. Anyone attempting to take part in a Social Group event without paying the join fee or booking fee is trying to get something they have not paid for - this is viewed as the same as shoplifting or fraud, which is a criminal offence.

NO UNOFFICIAL EVENTS

Members join The Social Group in order to come along to some of the programme of events listed in Social Group Magazine. Members are expected to come out to the events we organise.

Members agree not to organise unofficial get-togethers or any social events with groups of our members. Members agree not to organise or promote anything which takes people away from attending Social Group events. Members agree not to do anything which might undermine or damage The Social Group or the official programme of events.

Mavericks organising anything independently, or doing anything which significantly lessens attendance at any Social Group event, and anyone involved, may have their membership cancelled.

To clarify, this does not apply to a few friends getting together and meeting up, as obviously we want people to make friends. This refers to people actively organising groups of our members to go elsewhere and damaging our income or attendances.

Clearly, to make The Social Group work, we need people to attend the events we organise.

It is in the interests of all members that Social Group events are well-attended, so we trust we have everyone’s support with this.

LOYALTY TO THE SOCIAL GROUP

Members agree not to do anything which might sour the atmosphere, or which might damage the success of The Social Group, or disrupt the running of The Social Group, or insult or embarrass or abuse or assault the organisers, or bring parent company SGE Ltd. into disrepute.

Members agree not to promote rival companies or other social / friendship organisations, or any other separate programme of social events to other members. Members agree not to recruit members for rival companies or other social / friendship organisations. Owing to a possible conflict of interests, members agree not to assist, advise, organise, help run, or recruit for rival companies or other social / friendship organisations / events anywhere within the UK now and for a period of 24 months after they have ceased to be a member of The Social Group.

Anyone deliberately acting against the interests of The Social Group by promoting something else and anyone found recruiting our members for a private event or any other similar company, organisation or club, may have their membership cancelled and is likely to face legal action.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Social Group operates a dedicated policy of fair trading. We are committed to the very highest standards of customer service and all members can expect a professional and caring approach.

If any members wish to make known a concern, comment, or complaint, please let us know in a civilised, polite and calm manner, in a properly written letter, so that efforts can be made to find solutions.

ATTENDING EVENTS

Members agree to book for events before the stated booking deadlines.

Members are expected to make every effort to turn up on the day to the events they have booked for. If members are unable to attend an event they have booked for, they must let organisers know as soon as possible. Other members could be kept waiting needlessly and some events such as team games, sports, or quiz evenings need the proper numbers to be able to go ahead. Empty seats can spoil things, so we are looking for people to make a commitment not to let others down and for members to make every effort to be there on the day, so that events have full attendances and are successful. If members turn up late to an event, they accept that they are not entitled to any food they may have already booked and paid for. If members turn up in the middle of a meal taking place, they accept they may be asked to wait outside until after the meal has finished, and if this is the case, they accept that no refund is due.

One Event Booking Form is included in your Welcome Pack when you first join. This is helpful for you when making bookings by cheque through the post. After that, The Social Group charge £1 for five booking forms, or £1.50 for ten booking forms via the post. Or we can e-mail one you can print yourself for free.

Event Booking Forms are not necessary when making Credit Card and Debit Card bookings by telephone.

EVENT BOOKING - CANCELLATION BY THE SOCIAL GROUP

Except as a consequence of something beyond our control, in the event that something has to be cancelled by The Social Group, members are unlikely to lose any money. If we have to disappoint members, we will offer members their money back.

We will give members a refund if, when we receive a booking, a social event is already full or sold out.

We will give a refund if we cannot go ahead with a social event and have to let anyone down.

For small amounts, if member’s booking payments have been processed, we will put the amount in credit to use on another Social Group event.

If members would prefer to request a refund cheque, members need to write to us, stating name, address, and Member ID Number, and must enclose a Stamped Addressed Envelope - please allow 28 working days for refunds to be sent back.

VIP members accept they are not entitled to any full or partial refund if any of the standard £5 events are cancelled or called off, and accept that the events included in their VIP status are offered subject to availability and may not be available.

Members accept SGE Ltd are not responsible if other members do not attend events. If other members do not book for events or pull out of events, and let everyone else down, and if numbers fall and the event cannot go ahead or is spoiled as a result, members accept this is not our fault.

All members accept that some social events will not be as popular as others and not everything will run. All members accept that organisers have the right to cancel or make changes to events where necessary. The Social Group will not give a refund if we make changes to the details, times, or prices of an event - as we reserve the right to do so, where necessary. Any necessary changes will not be made unreasonably.

Members accept that there is no guarantee or promise that events will go ahead and that events are booked subject to availability.

Exceptions to above : We will not give a refund if an event is disrupted, cancelled, or abandoned due to an ‘Act of God’ such as a natural disaster, severe bad weather, fire, storm, flood, or earthquake, or due to circumstances beyond our control such as death, injury, illness, power cuts, strikes, criminal acts, riots, war, or terrorism.

EVENT BOOKING - CANCELLATION BY MEMBERS

Booking fees act as an incentive for members to turn up to events. If members decide not to attend something booked, members accept they lose their money. We will not give refunds if members cancel. If members do not go to something, and let everyone else down, members lose their money. Sorry - no exceptions. We will not give a refund if members have a family crisis, if members are ill, if members have to go into hospital, if a relative is sick, if the person who was giving a member a lift lets them down, if members have no transport, if members have to work extra hours, or if members have double booked their diary, or if members simply decide to do something else - as this is not our fault.

We do not transfer money from one booking to another, one event to another, or one person to another. If members cannot make an event, members lose their money. If someone else turns up in a place of the member who had booked the place, we will view them as gatecrashers.

Where applicable, where members have paid a deposit and do not pay the balance by the booking deadline, the booking is cancelled and any money paid is forfeit.

MEMBERSHIP CONTRACT

All members sign a Join Form which is a legally-binding contract to say they agree to abide by the Terms & Conditions. Anyone in breach of the Terms & Conditions, or found interfering with Social Group contracts with venues, or stealing, copying, or using Social Group information, ideas or property, or causing damage to The Social Group, or insulting, attacking or being abusive to the organisers of The Social Group, will have their membership cancelled. In serious cases, anyone deemed to have acted against the interests of The Social Group may face legal action. Anyone in breach of the Terms & Conditions may find their membership is cancelled, and in such circumstances, they accept that any bookings already made are null and void, and all monies which have been paid to The Social Group are forfeit. Anyone who has been threatening, abusive, or aggressive, or who has broken the terms of membership, and who is expelled from the group, accepts they are not entitled to any refund of any monies paid either as registration Join Fees or for events. No compensation is due to anyone thrown out of the Social Group.

If membership is not renewed before expiry, all bookings after expiry are cancelled, all monies paid for deposits / bookings are forfeit, and any monies held in credit are void. We will not give a refund if members allow their membership to expire and the events they booked become forfeit.

The Social Group should be seen as an exclusive club and membership regarded as a privilege. Social Group membership is entirely at the discretion of the organisers, who reserve the right to expel any member from The Social Group at any time. This right will not be used unreasonably and should not be necessary unless someone is really rude, makes an absolute nuisance of themselves, seriously undermines or damages The Social Group, or treats the organisers in an unpleasant, unreasonable, threatening, insulting, abusive, or aggressive manner.

If organisers do cancel an individual’s membership, no refund of Join Fees or any outstanding payments is due.

Subsequent terms of membership are entirely at the discretion of the organisers of The Social Group. Any members who have made a nuisance of themselves will not be invited to apply to renew or re-join, or they will be told they are not being allowed to continue.

HOLIDAYS

Holidays for Social Group members are organised in the UK and in other countries, where we book the accommodation for you.

All payments you make to us for holidays are fully protected, held in our Trust Account at Lloyds TSB Bank in Tavistock, Devon.

The Social Group does not sell flights or foreign package holidays.

DISCLAIMER

All members recognise and accept that they participate at their own risk. People are required to take out their own insurance as appropriate. All members agree that The Social Group is not liable for any unforeseen circumstances, accidents, injuries, bad weather, cancellations, changes and other such problems. Members are always advised to dress as appropriate for the weather. The Social Group accept no liability for the behaviour of individuals. The Social Group is not liable for members negligence or disputes between members. Members accept responsibility for their own actions, behaviour and social etiquette. Members are required to be able to manage events under their own steam.

The Directors of parent company SGE Ltd. reserve the right to make changes to any aspect of The Social Group at any time, including the social events, activities, and holidays advertised, and the Terms & Conditions which may need to be adapted occasionally.

Updated Terms & Conditions will be displayed on the web sites and in new issues of Social Group Magazine.

COPYRIGHT RESERVED

© Social Group Enterprises Ltd. 1997 - 2008. All rights reserved.

© The Social Group TM.

All Social Group material is protected by copyright laws.

Anyone copying, stealing, or using Social Group intellectual property, ways of operating, information, text, or photographs belonging to Social Group Enterprises Ltd., or in breach of copyright laws protecting Social Group Enterprises Ltd., may face legal action.

Anyone attempting to copy our material or what we do in any way may face legal action.

Copying any part of Social Group Magazine or copying anything from our web sites without permission is an illegal act. If anyone wishes to copy or use any of our photographs, please ask first. We can produce quality colour A4 prints and A3 posters to order.

Social Group Terms & Conditions do not affect your statutory rights, and operate in accordance with the law of England & Wales.

“THE SOCIAL GROUP” is a Trading Name of SOCIAL GROUP ENTERPRISES LIMITED.
Directors: AB Haglington B.A.(Hons) CJ Haglington
Registered Office: 1-2 Moorside Court, Yelverton Business Park, Dartmoor, Devon PL20 7PE.
Registered in England & Wales.
Registered Number 4690215.
All prices include VAT - VAT No. 841474918.

POSTAL ADDRESS : Social Group Office, “Revelstone”, Mary Tavy, Dartmoor, Devon PL19 9PF, England.

INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE + 8456 121 770

THE SOCIAL GROUP
CORNWALL SOCIAL GROUP, DEVON SOCIAL GROUP, SOMERSET SOCIAL GROUP, BRISTOL SOCIAL GROUP

The Social Group is looking to expand into new areas - London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, etc. in the UK. Also into other countries around the world.

Please get in touch if you would be interested in operating a Social Group franchise (under licence) in your area. Enjoy a whole new career, which is a lot of fun and really worthwhile. Operating a Social Group franchise, you will make a difference to thousands of people, helping them find friends and enabling them to lead a better life.

As a Social Group franchisee, you will do something useful with your time and earn a honest salary for a honest day’s work. You will receive lots of help and guidance from The Social Group, and benefit from many years of experience as market leaders in the field. At the same time, while operating your own Social Group franchise along the same lines as existing Social Groups, you will be very much your own boss, be able to work your own hours to suit you, enjoy lots of freedom, and be very much more in control of your own life.

We will show you how to do everything. We will share our knowledge and skills. You will be able to copy and adapt our templates. We will make it all possible for you.

ALL ENQUIRIES WELCOME!