Terms & Conditions

Membership Fees

The NYCOS Regional Choir membership fee covers rehearsals or concerts per annum. The choir year runs from September to June and consists of three terms.

We operate two standard payment terms for membership fees:

• Fees to be paid in full by the choir start date (preferred)
• Fees to be paid in three instalments (August, October, and January)

If you will have difficulty paying fees under the payment terms above you may request to pay fees over a longer period. You should contact us as early as possible to request flexible payment terms. We also encourage you to apply for fee reduction if you will have difficulty paying fees.

Membership fees are reviewed annually; you will be advised of new fees at the time of creating or renewing a regional choir membership.

Fees per annum for 2023–24:

Junior Choir 1	£185
Junior Choir 2	£185
Intermediate Choir 1	£198
Intermediate Choir 2	£198
Senior Choir	£215
Chamber Choir	£215

Your membership email will tell you which choir group your child is in and how to pay. We cannot accept membership payments at choir rehearsals.

We are committed to doing all we can to ensure children can continue to sing in our choirs, however, failure to pay fees, apply for fee reduction or make alternative arrangements will ultimately result in us asking you to remove your child from choir.

Fee Reductions

We believe singing is for everyone; no child should miss out due to financial circumstances. Thanks to our funders and donors, NYCOS is able to offer help with fees, so don’t be put off if cost is an issue. To claim a fee reduction, please complete the relevant section of the online renewal.

If you have more than one child in any NYCOS choir (including national choirs), or a child in more than one NYCOS choir, each child will receive, on request, a 20% reduction on their NYCOS Regional Choir fees. Please complete the relevant section of the online membership or renewal form.

We encourage you to claim a fee reduction at the start of the choir year, however, we understand circumstances can change therefore applications can be made at any point during the choir year. If you have been awarded a reduction you may request that we review your award either because your circumstances have worsened or because you feel the award is insufficient.

Refund Policy

You may cancel a membership at any time; if you have paid the fee upfront, this refund policy governs how much of the membership fee will be returned to you.

If you are paying in instalments, all instalments due before your leaving date will be payable.

In the first year of membership, you will receive a full refund with no administration fee if cancelled within four weeks of the choir start date. For cancellations received after four weeks or for memberships in their second and subsequent years, a sliding scale of refunds will apply, as outlined in the table below, less a £10 administration fee.

Cancellation received by:	Percentage of fee refunded:
6th week of choir rehearsals	80%
8th week of choir rehearsals	60%
10th week of choir rehearsals	20%
12th week of choir rehearsals	10%
after 12th week of choir rehearsals	Nil

Memberships that are renewed for a second or subsequent year but not started (i.e. cancelled before the choir start date) will receive a full refund with no administration fee.

Cancellations should be made in writing to regional-choirs@nycos.co.uk or to:
Regional Choirs Producer, NYCOS, 3^rd Floor (Centre), Savoy House, 140 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3DH

If a choir rehearsal has to be cancelled, for example, due to bad weather conditions or staff illness, refunds will generally not be issued.

Guidelines

To make sure we have a safe and fun environment at rehearsals and performances, we have established some general guidelines that we expect all members to follow.

1. All children should be brought to rehearsals and collected afterwards by a parent/guardian. Children will not be allowed to leave the building unless accompanied by a parent or other known adult.
2. At all times, choir members must follow the instructions of the Choir Director, Music Staff, Choir Coordinator and volunteer parent helpers.
3. Choir members must respect the other participants and staff at all times.
4. Mobile phones should not be used during rehearsal for any purpose. The use of social media, taking photos, or recording is strictly prohibited.
5. A high standard of behaviour is expected from all members of the choir during rehearsals and concerts. If your child’s behaviour gives cause for concern, the following procedures will be followed:
   1. A member of Music Staff will speak with your child, explaining why their behaviour is inappropriate
   2. If the problem persists, the Choir Director will speak to your child
   3. If the problem still persists, the Choir Director will contact you
   4. If there is still a problem, a formal letter will be written to you by the Chief Executive, which may result in termination of membership
6. If your child is absent for more than 3 rehearsals, with no explanation or advance notice, the Choir Director may ask your child not to take part in a performance, if it is felt they do not know the music.

Child Protection

The safety of children is our highest priority; NYCOS holds enhanced disclosures for all staff who work directly with children and operates a regular programme of child protection training. If you have any concerns about the welfare of a child at choir please contact the Safeguarding Officer kenny.boyd@nycos.co.uk.

A copy of the Safeguarding Policy is available on request.

Processing of Personal Information

Providing an NYCOS Regional Choir membership requires that we, for reasons of contractual necessity, process your and your child’s personal information. We are committed to protecting your personal data and will use any personal or sensitive data we collect from you in line with the General Data Protection Regulations. To view our current Privacy and Security Statement, please visit nycos.co.uk/privacy-notice.

Amendments

NYCOS reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time without notice.