Our cancellation & booking alteration policy

Alterations & Cancellations Policy (Last updated June 2026)

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 a session or 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 where 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, manage expectations more transparently, and help keep things flowing for everyone.

SAUNA OPERATIONS

(See below for Events, Workshops & Retreats)

Cancellations

If you need to cancel your booking, please give us as much notice as possible.

More than 14 days before your session

• Refunds or transfers are available.
• A £5 admin fee applies per booking.

14 days or less before your session

• Your deposit is non-refundable.

3 days or less before your session

• No cancellations, refunds, or transfers are available.

If you can't make it, you're welcome to give your booking to a friend or family member. Just let us know who will be attending instead.

Booking Alterations

If you need to change your booking, a £5 admin fee applies per booking reference.

Please give at least 3 days' notice for any changes.

Within 3 days of your session, we're unable to make alterations.

If your original booking used a discount code, voucher, offer, or promotion, this cannot be transferred to the new date and the current price will apply.

A note on bums on seats

You wouldn't usually ring a cinema, concert venue, or sports event and ask to move your ticket because you're unable to attend. Normally you'd pass it on to someone else or the seat would simply go empty.

It's similar for us. Once a sauna space is booked, it's held just for you, and we have limited capacity. We try to be as flexible as possible where we can, but there are limits to what's fair and workable.

Why has this come about?

To be totally honest, I was spending hours at the laptop changing bookings instead of tending 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 people to book more intentionally in the first place.

EVENTS (Workshops, Retreats & Special Sessions)

Our events are a little different to sauna sessions. They often involve guest facilitators, food, materials, venue preparation, accommodation, and a significant amount of planning behind the scenes.

Cancellations

More than 14 days before the event

• Refunds or transfers are available.

• A £5 admin fee applies per booking reference. We keep deposits. 

Within 14 days of the event

• No Cancellations or transfers

As with sauna sessions, you're very welcome to transfer your place to a friend or family member. Just let us know their details.

Why it works this way

For many of our events, costs are committed well in advance and places are often limited. Once we get close to an event, it becomes increasingly difficult to refill cancelled spaces.

This policy helps us plan confidently, support facilitators fairly, and continue offering these deeper experiences in a sustainable way.

What happens if we need to cancel?

Very occasionally weather, logistics, staffing issues, safety concerns, or other unforeseen circumstances mean we need to cancel a session or event.

If this happens, you'll always be offered either:

• A full refund, or

• A transfer to another suitable session or event.

Thank you for understanding.

These policies aren't about making money from cancellations. They're about protecting the time, energy, and resources needed to create powerful, real, wild wellbeing experiences for everyone who joins us.