Our cancellation & booking alteration policy

Alterations & Cancellations Policy – Version 3 (Updated July 20th 2025)

Introduction & context

Whitby Wellbeing is rooted in a deep desire to help people reconnect – with nature, and with themselves.

We’re not a spa. We’re not a slick, polished corporate. We’re a small, independent team of outdoorsy folk who spend most of our time out on the coast, in the woods, and on the road, delivering something a little bit different: raw, real, wild wellbeing.

Because we run things in such a hands-on way, we’re often away from laptops and don’t have a dedicated admin team. There’s no receptionist, no call centre. Just a few of us doing our best to hold space, light fires, and welcome people into the heat.

This means emails and messages can sometimes take a little while to get a response – particularly over the weekend or within 48 hours of an event. Not because we don’t care – but because we’re doing the work, in the elements, face to face.

Over time, the number of last-minute alteration requests has grown to a point that it was beginning to affect our ability to deliver the core experience. 

So we’ve introduced this clear and fair policy – to protect the quality of what we offer, to manage expectations more transparently, and to help keep things flowing for everyone.

SAUNA OPERATIONS (see below for events)

Cancellations

If you need to cancel, we ask for at least three days’ notice. That gives us time to offer your space to someone else, and for us to re-balance the schedule.

You’re still very welcome to gift your booking to a friend or family member. Just let us know who’ll be coming in your place.

More than 3 days’ notice?

Cancellations made with more than 3 days’ notice are totally fine – but will now incur a £5 admin fee per booking reference.(One booking = one transaction, even if it includes multiple sauna seats.)

A note on  bums on seats

You wouldn’t usually be able to ring a cinema or a sports venue to cancel a ticket and move your ticket because you’re unwell —you would send someone else or the seat would simply go empty. It’s a similar situation for us; once a sauna space is booked, it’s held just for you, and we have limited capacity. I do try to be as flexible as possible where I can, but there are limits to what’s fair and workable.

Booking alterations

We used to offer unlimited changes at no cost. Then we introduced a small £3.50 admin fee to help cover the time involved. But unfortunately, that didn’t slow things down – and the volume of requests kept growing, especially in the final 48 hours before a session.

So now, any alteration or cancellation will carry a £5 admin fee per booking reference, and we kindly ask that you give more than 48 hours’ notice for any changes.

Within 48 hours of a session, we’re unable to make changes. At that point we’re likely somewhere in the elements – on the beach, in the woods, setting up the sauna or holding space – and just can’t offer reliable admin support.

Please note if you make an alteration on a booking which you have already had a discount on- the discount cannot be applied to the new altered date sorry!

 Why has this come about?

To be totally honest: I was spending hours at the laptop changing bookings instead of tending to fires, preparing spaces, or being present with people in the sauna.

This isn’t about squeezing extra money from anyone – far from it. It’s about protecting our time, creating clearer boundaries, and encouraging folks to book more intentionally the first time around.

We know life changes sometimes, and we’ll always do what we can to support where possible. But having a simple, respectful policy in place means we can focus on what matters most: delivering powerful, real, wild wellbeing experiences.

So please take a moment when booking to choose the time that works best for you. Your body, mind, and wallet will thank you – and so will we.

EVENTS (Workshops, Retreats, Special Sessions)

Our events are a bit different to sauna sessions. They take more planning, more prep, and often involve bringing in other facilitators, food, materials, and holding a bigger space for a longer period of time.

Because of that, the cancellation window is longer.

Cancellations

We ask for at least 14 days’ notice for any event cancellations.

More than 14 days’ notice: Refund or transfer available (minus a £5 admin fee per booking)

Less than 14 days’ notice: 

Unfortunately we’re unable to offer refunds or transfers

You’re always very welcome to pass your place on to a friend or family member – this is often the simplest option if plans change. 

Just let us know their name.

Why it works this way

For events, costs are often committed in advance and spaces are limited. Last-minute cancellations are very difficult for us to refill and can impact the viability of running the session altogether.This isn’t about being rigid – it’s about making sure we can continue to offer these deeper, more involved experiences in a sustainable way.As always, we’ll do our best to help where we reasonably can – but having a clear policy keeps things fair for everyone involved.