faqs
who organises charity challenge?
how are my personal details processed by charity challenge?
which charity can I support?
how much sponsorship do I have to raise?
how do I convince sponsors that its not a holiday?
can my charity claim back gift aid on donations made?
why do the deposits and sponsorship levels vary for similar challenges?
how is the expedition funded?
what is included in the price?
what is not included?
how much of an impact will my long haul flight have on the environment?
should I just stop flying altogether?
can I organise my own flights and join the tour in-country?
if I take part, can I extend my flight and stay on longer?
do I need travel insurance?
I have my own travel insurance policy already. Do I still need to take yours?
is it safe to book or pay online at www.charitychallenge.com?
how are expedition places allocated?
what should I expect?
who takes part in a charity challenge expedition?
why have airlines been charging fuel surcharges recently?
how fit do I need to be?
who organises charity challenge?
Charity Challenge and communitychallenge are the concept of, and are administered by, Challenges (Un)Limited. All flight and challenge arrangements are undertaken by Challenges (Un)Limited (ATOL 6546). This Air Travel Organisers Licence is issued by the Civil Aviation Authority and ensures that your money is safe before departure and provides for your safe repatriation in the event of our insolvency.
how are my personal details processed by charity challenge?
When you complete a booking form, you will provide us with a certain amount of personal data, which we will only process for the purposes of administering and marketing the expedition. Examples of this processing include (but are not limited to): your name, occupation, date of birth and passport number is required for us to process your group visa (if relevant), book flights and for hotel reservations overseas. Any dietary requirements, allergies, or medical conditions are used for informing the airline, ground handler and tour leader where necessary. Your name, age and address are needed by the insurance company to provide adequate cover for you. Please refer to the terms and conditions for more information, or feel free to contact us.
which charity can I support?
Raising sponsorship requires time and effort, so you need to be passionate about the cause you support. Charity Challenge allows you to choose which charity benefits from your efforts, providing it is registered in either the UK or Ireland. Our website lists many organisations who will welcome your support. Please click here for our associated charities. If you wish to support a charity that is not listed on the website, you can provide us with their contact details and we will introduce them to the Charity Challenge concept. If you would like to raise money for a charity who will invest your sponsorship into projects in the country you are visiting, there are links to such charities on our website by clicking here.
how much sponsorship do I have to raise?
Accepting the physical challenge is just the beginning. To participate, you will also be required to raise substantial sponsorship for the charity of your choice. The level of minimum sponsorship is indicated on each of the itineraries. You will be sent fundraising ideas, a sample sponsorship letter, and sponsorship forms. All money should be sent directly to the charity as and when you collect it. Unless you have covered the full cost of your expedition (self funder option), at least 80% of the minimum sponsorship MUST be sent to the charity eight weeks before departure. If you do not achieve this, you risk losing your place on the expedition. This is a Booking Condition for participating on the Charity Challenge. The balance (i.e. the remaining 20%) should be sent to the charity within six weeks of returning to the UK from your expedition.
how do I convince sponsors that its not a holiday?
None of these challenges could be considered to be a holiday. You will need to spend months training and fundraising, before undertaking a demanding physical challenge. All three of these elements of Charity Challenge take time effort and commitment. You will be training for many months to get fit, raising thousands of pounds for charity, and then undertaking a physically demanding challenge. How difficult the challenge is, will ultimately be down to you to decide. You could trek or cycle for 6-8 hours each day and for several days, with basic facilities and sometimes at high altitude. Temperatures could climb from -20oC to +30oC within 24 hours. Participating in a Charity Challenge expedition starts long before you depart. It takes time, effort, dedication and commitment and is far from just a holiday. Finally, you have the Self Funding option to pay the full cost of the expedition yourself.
can my charity claim back gift aid on donations made?
Gifts of money made by taxpaying individuals to charities in respect of sponsoring Charity Challenges will attract 25% tax relief under the Gift Aid scheme. If someone makes a donation to the charity of say £100, the charity can recover a further £25.00 from the Inland Revenue. Furthermore, if the person making the donation is a higher rate taxpayer then they in turn will recover £25 when they submit their tax return. Sponsorship payments made by persons connected to the participant fail the donor benefit rules and so are not eligible for tax relief under the Gift Aid scheme. Sponsorship payments made by persons not connected to the participant can be made under the Gift Aid scheme. So, if all the sponsorship raised by a participant is donated to the participating charity by persons not connected to the participant then all of those individual payments can be Gift Aided. A connected person is the wife or husband, a relative (brother, sister, ancestor (e.g. mother) or lineal descendant (e.g. grandson), the wife or husband of a relative, a company under the control of the donor, or under control of connected persons. For more information, please refer to the Inland Revenue website and enter Gift Aid into its search engine.
why do the deposits and sponsorship levels vary for similar challenges?
As our most popular challenges operate throughout the year, some will take place during the destination’s peak season. During this time, air fares and accommodation costs increase. We have addressed this by either increasing the deposit, the balance or the minimum sponsorship requirement. The peak season supplements currently only apply to two destinations: China (£70) and Nepal (£100). If you have any questions about this, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
how is the expedition funded?
There are two ways that you can fund your expedition. Choose one of the options below and indicate your preference on your booking form. The payment options are:
self funder
With this option, you personally cover the full cost of the expedition (which includes a £100 donation to the charity). This means that the charity receives a £100 donation and every penny that you raise thereafter. The full cost is made up of the deposit due at the time of booking, and the balance due eight weeks before departure. The self funder option has no minimum sponsorship requirement, although you are still encouraged to raise as much as you can for the charity.
minimum sponsorship
With this option, you pay your deposit when booking the expedition, and pledge to raise a minimum amount of sponsorship for the charity. You will need to send your sponsorship money to the charity as you raise it. At least 80% of the minimum sponsorship must be sent to the charity ten weeks before departure, along with pledges for the remaining 20% (which is due in within 6 weeks of returning to the UK). If you have raised the necessary funds, the charity will then pay the balance of your expedition costs (which will not exceed 45% of the minimum sponsorship target). The charity benefits by keeping the remaining sponsorship money and every pound over and above that you raise. For example, you pay the deposit at the time of booking the challenge (£300). You then commit to raise a minimum sponsorship in aid of your chosen charity (£2500). You must send 80% of the minimum sponsorship to the charity ten weeks before departure (which equates to £2000). At this time, the charity will pay the balance of your expedition costs (45% of £2500 = £1125). You will have to send the remaining sponsorship money to the charity within six weeks of completing the challenge. The charity typically keeps about £1500 of the minimum sponsorship and every pound over and above that you raise.
NB: For each trip there is a travel insurance premium, and this is due at the time of booking. All costs, sponsorship levels and travel insurance premiums are indicated on the relevant itinerary in the brochure and also on the website. Please check the website for the most up to date figures before booking.
what is included in the price?
International flights to and from the UK (usually London) booked in Economy Class; all accommodation during the expedition (usually twin basis), if camping we provide all necessary communal camping and cooking gear; three meals a day (unless otherwise stated); drinking water on challenge days; entrance fees to national parks or other places of interest visited on the itinerary; internal road and air transfers; all ground staff including English speaking guide, drivers, cooks, and porters; full back-up support including first-aid qualified staff and first-aid supplies; activity equipment including bikes, tents, and rafts; a donation of USD$20 to a local community project on your behalf in the area of the challenge; a Charity Challenge T-shirt; and discount on personal equipment from selected stores. We also make a contribution through Climate Care to offset the equivalent CO2 emissions of your international flight.
what is not included?
Transfers to and from UK departure airport; entry visas (if applicable); vaccinations (if applicable); personal equipment; support team tips; personal spending money; overseas airport departure tax (if applicable) and additional activities not included in the itinerary such as excess baggage charges, hotel porterage, all items of personal nature such as laundry, room service charges, drinks, phone calls etc.
NB: We will advise you on the specific requirements of these items in the fact file & Q&A's for your chosen expedition.
how much of an impact will my long haul flight have on the environment?
The Government aims to reduce the UK's total CO2 emissions by 60 per cent by the year 2050. Virtually everything that we do - including breathing - leads to CO2 emissions, which means we all must do our bit. The public perception is that aviation accounts for the lion's share of these emissions, but this is not the reality. In actual fact, the Stern report says that it accounts for 1.6% of emissions (however it is more damaging to emit CO2 at altitude, so this is equivalent to 3.2% of emissions). Even the clothes we wear account for more emissions per person (on average) than flying. By comparison, our houses are the biggest source of emissions, contributing a staggering 25 per cent. Possible measures to reduce this include: lagging the loft, using low energy light bulbs or turning down the thermostat by a degree. These are all likely to have a greater impact than stopping flying.
However, Charity Challenge is still doing its bit to counter the impact of long haul flying. We are now investing funds into carbon reduction schemes for every passenger who travel with us. We anticipate investing in the region of £60,000 over the next two years to fund projects such as cleaner wood burning stoves in India which reduce CO2 emissions, reduce deforestation and cause less eye problems from smoke.
should I just stop flying altogether?
Tourism is the single biggest service industry in the world (1). Nowadays travel and tourism account for 10.4% percent of the world GDP and 8.2% of total employment worldwide (around 231.2 million jobs) (2). For many developing countries tourism is one of the main income sources and a leading source of foreign exchange in 46 of the 49 Least Developed Countries. (3) Therefore, ceasing all travel to these countries would have a disastrous impact on their economies. Any potential solution to global warming comes at a cost - renewable energy, cleaner technologies, waste reduction processes, etc. If we cut back on flying altogether, the global economy would crash and investment in these areas would suffer. We at Charity Challenge believe that the solution lies in reducing our emissions by overhauling our daily lifestyles. In the meantime, we aim to do what we can to offset the impact of any necessary emissions.
(2) World Travel and Tourism Council (2007). Travel and Tourism Navigating the Path Ahead. The 2007 Travel & Tourism Economic Research.
(3) UNWTO (2007).
can I organise my own flights and join the tour in-country?
The prices quoted for each expedition include return international flights from London to the expedition destination. If for any reason, you would rather organise your own flights, we will discount the overall cost of the expedition by the budgeted cost of flights from London (including air taxes). We would ask you to let us know as soon as possible if you intend to organise your own flights so that we do not pay a deposit to hold a seat for you. If your request is received late, and deposits have been paid to the airline, you will be responsible to cover the loss of deposit (approximately £50-100). Once you have confirmed that you wish to organise your own flights, please let us know your new flight schedule so we can organise for you to be met in-country, and for any other necessary services such as an additional night's accommodation. Please note that when organising your own flights, you will only be covered under the insurance policy for the equivalent of economy class flights from London. Should you decide to fly business class for example, we will have to notify the insurers to make sure they are happy to accept the increased risk. They may in certain circumstances charge a premium. If this is the case, we will let you know. In all cases, you will have to pay the deposit at the time of booking, and as a self funder, we will invoice you the balance of expedition costs less the cost of UK flights and air taxes. Under the minimum sponsorship option, you will have to raise the same level of sponsorship and once we receive the balance of your costs from your charity, we will refund you directly the cost of UK flights and air taxes.
Additional notes from the Booking Conditions: If you are joining the expedition locally (i.e. the country the expedition takes place in) our responsibility does not commence until the appointed time at the designated meeting point. If you fail to arrive there at the appointed time, we shall not be responsible for any additional expenses incurred by you in order to meet up with the group.
if I take part, can I extend my flight and stay on longer?
On all Charity Challenge expeditions, we aim to secure the most cost effective package. The biggest single expense on these expeditions is the international flights, and in order to keep these costs as low as possible, we have an exclusive arrangement with several airlines. The tickets we book however are non-transferrable, non-refundable, and non-changeable. In certain circumstances, the airline may permit a change to the return date, but this is at the discretion of the airline. Where we are able to change your return date, there will be a flat non-refundable fee of £60, and of course, if the change of date results in a more expensive ticket, you will also be required to pay the difference. You will not be able to amend the outward date, only the return date.
After contacting Charity Challenge by phone, your request to extend must be put in writing before it will be actioned. You should send your request to Charity Challenge with a cheque for £60 made payable to "Challenges Unlimited" or by making your payment online. Your written confirmation should state that you have read and understood the points raised by your contact at Charity Challenge. You must give a preferred return date but also two other dates, just in case the first request is not available. If you choose to request a change, and then do not wish to take the requested return flight, you WILL be charged the £60 admin fee. However, if we cannot confirm your requested change of return date, or if the resultant fare increases by £50 or more and you choose not to accept the flight, we will NOT charge you the admin fee.
Insurance: If you extend your flight, you will also need to make sure that your personal travel insurance is extended to cover you for the full duration. You should put in writing a request to Charity Challenge and we will make the necessary arrangements to do this on your behalf. If an additional premium is required, you will be notified.
NB: PLEASE think very carefully and decide exactly what you need / want before requesting a change of return date. Once we request a change, if the seat is available, the airline will change the details immediately. If you change your mind once the new details have been entered, you may have lost your original seat with the main group.
do I need travel insurance?
It is a Booking Condition that you purchase the Charity Challenge recommended comprehensive travel insurance policy that has been designed to cover the adventurous nature of these expeditions. We arrange specialist travel insurance cover for Charity Challenge expeditions with Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd (GTI) and for Community Challenge expeditions with ACE Guardian Insurance. This insurance covers among other things, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, cancellation and curtailment of the expedition. In addition, this policy will protect the charity you are raising funds for, as they may (under the minimum sponsorship option) be contributing as much as £1200 towards your expedition costs.
We appreciate that whilst you may have your own personal travel insurance arrangements, it is not administratively possible for us to vet each and every one of your policies. Whilst we have taken steps, which we consider necessary to review this travel insurance policy, it is not possible to anticipate every conceivable risk or accident that can occur on an adventure expedition. In addition, no insurance policy covers every possible accident that may arise. You are therefore requested to consider for yourself the wording of the policy that we recommend and which is compulsory for this trip. Nothing will prevent you from taking out additional cover from any insurance company over and above the insurance cover provided under the compulsory insurance. All prices include UK Government Insurance Premium Tax @17.5%.
If you are not resident in the UK, and are flying in to join the group departing from the UK, you will need to extend your travel insurance to provide cover for the travelling time to and from the UK. Similarly if you extend the duration of your trip, you will need to ensure that your travel insurance is extended to cover you for the full duration of your trip. We are happy to make the necessary arrangements on your behalf by extending the expedition insurance. Any request for an extension of cover should put in writing. If an additional premium is required, you will be notified.
Charity Challenge: The travel insurance is arranged by Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd, and is underwritten by AXA Insurance UK plc. Both GTI companies are Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). If you have any questions regarding this insurance, you should contact Global Travel Insurance for advice and assistance. A full policy wording will be provided to you with your confirmation of booking. The policy covers residents (who have been resident for more than twelve months) of the Isle of Man, Channel Islands, UK and ROI. To read the complete GTI policy wording, please click here.
communitychallenge: The ACE Guardian travel insurance policy is placed by MasterPolicy Insurance Brokers with ACE European Group Limited. Both MasterPolicy Insurance Brokers and ACE European Group Limited are members of and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. If you have any questions regarding this insurance, you should in the first instance contact MasterPolicy Insurance Brokers. A Summary of Cover/Key Facts document will be sent to you with your confirmation of booking and the full policy wording can be viewed on line by using the link below. The ACE Guardian policy covers persons resident either within or outside the UK. To read the complete ACE Guardian policy wording please click here.
I have my own travel insurance policy already. Do I still need to take yours?
Yes. We do appreciate that some of our participants do already own a travel insurance policy. However, there are four very strong reasons why we insist that each person travelling with our company, has the specialist travel insurance that we provide:
- The policy specifically covers the adventurous nature of our expeditions, e.g. high altitude trekking, use of ropes and harnesses, white water rafting and so on. It also covers Community Challengers specifically for manual labour on an international development charity managed building site.
- The way the Charity Challenge expeditions are funded is unique in the travel market. Your charity in some circumstances pays as much as £1200 towards your costs. If you were to cancel within eight weeks of the departure, the charity would lose their contribution towards your expedition costs. We have specifically tailored the insurance cover so that in these exceptional circumstances (subject to the cancellation terms), the underwriters would refund you your deposit and any tour costs paid out by the charity would be refunded to the charity. In this way our unique insurance protects the charity's money as well as yours.
- Everyone on the expedition is covered by the same 24hr insurance emergency number. If there is a major incident (e.g. hurricane, landslide, forest fire, earthquake, or severe weather), we have one emergency number to use to obtain assistance for the whole group. For example should a helicopter evacuation be required there would be major issues if everyone had their own independent insurance, for they would each have to wait in turn to use the emergency satellite phone and to call their specific 24hrs emergency number. Each insurance company would then try and obtain the one helicopter in the area or country to evacuate just one person. In the interests of your safety we have to consider such scenarios, however unlikely, in our risk assessments.
- By providing insurance cover which does give adequate medical emergency and evacuation cover, we shall not be faced with a situation where a client with inadequate insurance cover could not be quickly and effectively rescued because his or her insurers refuses to help. Charity Challenge now provides expeditions to thousands of travellers each year. We simply could not inspect every insurance policy to ascertain if it was adequate for all circumstances.
is it safe to book or pay online at www.charitychallenge.com?
During all the confidential stages of booking and paying online, you will see a padlock icon at the foot of the screen. Your personal information is kept secure by encrypted transmission. www.charitychallenge.com uses SSL ("Secure Socket Layer") encryption. If have any concerns about booking or paying online please contact our office on +44 (0) 20 8557 0000.
how are expedition places allocated?
Each itinerary has a maximum group size, so places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Once an expedition becomes full, we endeavour to introduce additional departure dates and the latest dates are listed on the website. Please click here to view Departure Dates.
what should I expect?
Many of Charity Challenge’s host countries are less developed than the UK and Ireland. Internal infrastructures are often limited; roads are rough and facilities basic. We maintain the highest standards of hygiene (that a wilderness environment permits), but if you’re after a five-star holiday, forget Charity Challenge. If, however, you are seeking an adrenaline-filled adventure abroad, are over 18 and relatively active, then Charity Challenge has plenty to offer you.
who takes part in a charity challenge expedition?
Our challenges are open to anyone over 18 who is capable of undertaking the challenge. Fifteen to seventeen-year-olds can participate in a Charity Challenge if accompanied by a
parent or guardian (aged 25 or above). We have also launched a range of family challenges where twelve to seventeen-year-olds can participate if travelling with their parents. Our most mature clients were a 75-year-old man who successfully completed the Rajasthan Tiger Bike Ride in India and a 72-year-old man who successfully summited Kilimanjaro!
You will need to be relatively fit, should have an active sense of adventure, be willing to muck in, and have a positive and flexible approach to adventure travel.
why have airlines been charging fuel surcharges recently?
The price of oil rose this year to its highest level for more than 26 years. Since 1998, the increase in oil prices has been relentless, from less than US$20 a barrel that year, to over US$130 this year.
Source: www.opec.org
Factors that have led to this increase in fuel costs include the increasing demand from emerging market economies such as India and China, the war in Iraq and instability in the Middle East where the majority of the world's oil is produced.
With oil being the major raw material for air travel, ALL airlines have been hit by the increase in oil costs and fuel surcharges have been imposed across the board. Over the last 18 months, Charity Challenge have directly incurred increased costs of around £67,500 as a result of fuel surcharges.
Charity Challenge will absorb any such increases as detailed in clause 5 of our booking conditions (equal to 2% of the challenge cost), but any further amounts will be passed on as a price increase at the time of invoicing. It will be clearly marked on the final invoice as "fuel surcharge".
how fit do I need to be?
The very nature of the Charity Challenge means a certain level of fitness is required. Our expeditions are designed to be demanding, as you need to earn your sponsorship money, so getting fit is part of the challenge. Fitness Training notes are available on the website and we recommend you spend two to three months before your trip getting fit and building up stamina. You do not need to be professional in your chosen sport but the more prepared you are the more you will enjoy the expedition. Only you can judge how fit you are and what you are capable of achieving so be sensible but adventurous. Don’t forget people are sponsoring you to undertake a challenge. Set yourself realistic goals, but remember that the more prepared you are, the more you will enjoy the expedition.
The air holidays and flights on this web site are ATOL protected, since we hold an Air Travel Organiser's Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 6546. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. For further information visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk. This protection only covers holidays that originate in the U.K.