Your Finance

Due to the current economic climate we feel the need to reassure you...

How we protect your money?

Financial Failure Insurance & Protection:
You are insured up to £5,000  for any non recoverable money paid to the The Leap in the highly unlikely event that The Leap goes into administration. This is only available through Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd's travel insurance policy, designed for those travelling with The Leap, for whom The Leap are an Introducer Appointed Representative.

In addition copies of our accounts are held by the The Year Out Group and Companies House. We have strong cash reserves and strictly abide by the Year Out Groups Code of Conduct regarding protecting our client's financial security. If you wish to talk to Richard Oliver the CEO of the Year Out Group for reassurance the number is: 01380 816696.

Who are the Year Out Group and what do they do for you?
The Year Out Group (YOG) ensures its members (i.e. us) comply with their rules and all are carefully vetted on joining and each year thereafter:

• Agreed to adhere to the Group's Code Of Practice and Members Charter
• Provide their Terms and Conditions and Annual Accounts
• Provide proof that they have public liability insurance in excess of £2million
• Have a crisis and risk policy in place, together with trained staff
• Provide client satisfaction feedback

The YOG is not for profit and is an association of independent organisations that exist to promote the concepts and benefits of well-structured year out programmes. Out of numerous companies offering Gap Years there are currently only 36 members (you cannot apply for membership until you have successfully been operating for 3 years - The Leap was founded in 2002), giving you the reassurance and confidence that if you choose to travel with The Leap you will be travelling with a professional, caring and reputable company - just ask our past 'leapers' or look at what they have to say about us and their experiences on our 'leapers' letters and facebook.

We will happily put you in touch with past 'leapers' and parents if you want extra reassurance.

In the highly unlikely event that the Company became insolvent your trip would still go ahead. How? Well in addition to the above safeguards which would refund you financially through the GTI insurance policy, we also have in place a separate 'Volunteer account', which holds your final payment. Your funds are held in this account and are therefore redeemable up until the point when you receive your air ticket. At this point your trip is certain to go ahead and therefore we release your funds to our overseas placement managers who are then all set for your arrival.

What about my flight?
We book flights, on your behalf through STA Travel (one of the world’s largest student travel companies). They are ATOL bonded (3206) through the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) so your flights are fully protected and would be reimbursed in full. You are welcome to book your flights elsewhere but ensure they have an ATOL bond.

When do I need insurance?
We can't emphasise how important this is and why we insist you buy insurance when you pay your second payment. With your insurance in place you'll be covered for all payments, including flights, if you have to cancel. Our recommended policy through www.globaltravelinsurance.co.uk/quote/TheLeap has excellent cancellation cover of up to £5,500 for insurable reasons as described in their policy.

When do I pay - Time Line?
The payments for your trip are broken down into easy to manage instalments, so please don't worry about finding the full amount straight away. Once you have sent in a Booking (Application) Form we will send you detailed Placement Guidelines on your placement and talk to you personally about the experience. At this point we ask for a £100 deposit to secure your place on the trip and pay for the Briefing and Training day, which is included in the full cost of the placement.

A second payment of £500 is due six months prior to departure (if possible), covering on-going planning and research for your placement. 

The final instalment is due two months before you go (if possible).

The above is a guide and don't worry we are flexible and can delay payments as late as possible if you need extra time.

And before you ask....No we don't do credit cards!
We've looked into this time and time again...We are against having a credit card machine because of the extortionate commission charges we and yourself would be charged. In order to have a credit card machine we would be required to have an insurance bond costing approximately £6,500 p.a. Given this is not legally necessary and we have described here how we have safeguarded your money, we hope you would agree we would much rather invest this money directly in our overseas communities.

ATOL Protection
As we do not include airline flights in our package we cannot have an ATOL bond.