Terms of Service

Effective Date: 26 June 2026

1. Introduction and acceptance of terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the services, facilities, classes, workshops, memberships, events, commissions, and related offerings provided by Hearth & Clay Pottery Studio ("we", "us", "our").

By booking, purchasing, attending, accessing, or otherwise using any of our services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use our services.

These Terms apply in addition to any specific booking conditions, studio rules, waiver forms, safety instructions, membership agreements, or event-specific terms provided to you. In the event of any conflict, any specific written terms provided by Hearth & Clay Pottery Studio for a particular service shall prevail to the extent of that conflict.

Nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights under applicable UK consumer law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, where applicable.

2. Scope of services

Hearth & Clay Pottery Studio provides pottery-related services, which may include, without limitation:

• Pottery classes for beginners;
• Wheel throwing workshops;
• Hand-building ceramics sessions;
• Private group pottery events;
• Custom ceramic commissions;
• Studio membership and open access;
• Ceramic glazing and finishing;
• Use of studio equipment, tools, materials, kilns, and workspace subject to availability and safety requirements.

We may vary, suspend, or discontinue any service, class format, schedule, material offering, or studio access arrangement at any time, provided that such changes do not materially affect services already paid for without offering a reasonable remedy where required by law.

All services are provided subject to availability, suitability, age restrictions, safety rules, and any additional requirements communicated at the time of booking or attendance.

3. User obligations and responsibilities

By using our services, you agree that you will:

• Provide accurate, complete, and up-to-date information when making a booking, enquiry, membership application, or commission request;
• Follow all instructions, safety guidance, studio rules, and staff directions at all times;
• Use equipment, tools, materials, and kiln facilities responsibly and only as instructed or authorised;
• Wear appropriate clothing and footwear and take reasonable care to avoid injury, burns, cuts, slips, dust exposure, or damage to property;
• Disclose any relevant medical conditions, allergies, disabilities, pregnancy, or other circumstances that may affect your safe participation;
• Supervise any child or dependent person under your care, where applicable, and ensure they comply with all rules;
• Not attend the studio or participate in activities while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any substance that may impair judgment or safety;
• Respect other participants, staff, visitors, and neighbours, and not engage in abusive, disruptive, discriminatory, or unlawful conduct;
• Not damage, remove, copy, misuse, or interfere with studio property, other users' property, or any intellectual property belonging to us or third parties;
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including health and safety requirements.

You are responsible for any loss or damage caused by your breach of these Terms, your negligence, or your wilful misconduct, subject to any limitations required by law.

We reserve the right to refuse admission, suspend access, or terminate a booking or membership without refund where a person poses a safety risk, behaves inappropriately, or materially breaches these Terms or studio rules.

4. Payment terms and conditions

All prices are stated in pounds sterling (GBP) unless otherwise indicated and are inclusive or exclusive of VAT as specified at the point of sale. Where VAT applies, it will be charged at the prevailing rate.

Payment is due at the time of booking unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing. We may require full or partial advance payment, deposits, or pre-authorisation for certain services, including private events, memberships, commissions, kiln use, or bespoke work.

Accepted payment methods may include card payments, bank transfer, online payment platforms, or other methods notified by us from time to time. We are not obliged to provide services until payment has cleared in full.

If you fail to make payment when due, we may:

• cancel or suspend your booking, membership, or access;
• withhold delivery of finished work, where lawful to do so until outstanding sums are paid;
• charge reasonable administrative costs and interest on overdue sums to the extent permitted by law;
• recover any debt collection or enforcement costs reasonably incurred.

For custom ceramic commissions, we may require a non-refundable deposit to cover design, materials, and production costs. Final payment may be required before collection or dispatch of completed items.

For studio membership and open access, recurring fees, access conditions, minimum terms, notice periods, and any fair usage limits will be set out in the relevant membership agreement or booking page. Failure to comply with membership rules may result in suspension or termination of access.

Where a booking includes materials, firing, glazing, or finishing services, additional charges may apply for excess clay, special glazes, multiple firings, storage beyond the stated period, packaging, postage, or rework requested by you.

5. Cancellation and refund policy

This section applies subject to any service-specific cancellation terms communicated at the time of booking. Your statutory cancellation rights, where applicable, are not affected.

General bookings, classes, and workshops

• Cancellations made by you more than 14 days before the scheduled service may be eligible for a refund, less any non-refundable booking fee or deposit, unless otherwise stated.
• Cancellations made by you within 14 days of the scheduled service may not be refundable, except where required by law or at our discretion.
• Failure to attend a booked class, workshop, or event will normally be treated as a late cancellation and no refund will be due.

Private group events

• Private event deposits are generally non-refundable.
• Any balance due must be paid by the deadline specified in the booking confirmation.
• Changes to guest numbers, timings, or event format may be subject to availability and additional charges.

Custom ceramic commissions

• Commission deposits are non-refundable once work has commenced, except where required by law.
• Because commissions are bespoke and made to your specifications, cancellation rights may not apply once production has begun, in accordance with applicable consumer law.
• If you request changes after production has started, additional fees may apply and delivery times may be extended.

Studio membership and open access

• Membership cancellations must be made in accordance with the notice period stated in the membership agreement.
• Fees already paid for a billing period are non-refundable unless otherwise required by law or expressly stated in writing.
• We may suspend or terminate membership immediately for serious breach of studio rules, unsafe conduct, non-payment, or misuse of facilities.

Our cancellations and changes

If we need to cancel or materially change a service due to low enrolment, staff illness, safety concerns, equipment failure, weather, or other operational reasons, we will use reasonable efforts to offer one of the following, where appropriate and lawful:

• an alternative date or service;
• a credit note or rescheduling option;
• a refund of the amount paid for the affected service.

Refunds, where due, will normally be made using the original payment method within a reasonable period. We are not responsible for any third-party fees, bank charges, or exchange rate losses incurred by you unless required by law.

6. Liability limitations

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for:

• death or personal injury caused by our negligence;
• fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
• any other liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited under English law.

Subject to the above, we shall not be liable for:

• loss or damage arising from your failure to follow instructions, studio rules, or safety guidance;
• damage to items you bring into the studio, except where caused by our negligence and only to the extent required by law;
• minor variations in colour, texture, finish, size, glaze results, cracking, warping, shrinkage, or other characteristics inherent in ceramic processes;
• loss of profit, loss of business, loss of opportunity, loss of goodwill, or indirect or consequential loss;
• delay or failure caused by events outside our reasonable control.

Ceramics are inherently variable and outcomes may differ due to clay body, glaze chemistry, firing conditions, moisture content, handling, and other factors. We do not guarantee that finished pieces will match any sample, image, or expectation exactly.

Where we store finished work for collection, we will take reasonable care, but storage is at your risk after the collection period stated by us. Uncollected items may be disposed of, donated, or recycled after reasonable notice, subject to applicable law and any stated storage policy.

Our total liability to you in connection with any service, whether in contract, tort, negligence, or otherwise, shall be limited to the amount paid by you for the relevant service, except where a greater liability cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

7. Intellectual property rights

All intellectual property rights in our website, branding, course materials, workshop content, designs, templates, teaching methods, photographs, written materials, and other content created or supplied by Hearth & Clay Pottery Studio remain our property or the property of our licensors.

You may use materials provided to you solely for your personal, non-commercial use in connection with our services. You must not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, adapt, or exploit our materials without our prior written consent, except as permitted by law.

Any original design, artwork, or concept created by us for a commission remains our intellectual property unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing. Upon full payment, you may receive a licence to use the commissioned item for its intended personal or agreed commercial purpose, but not to reproduce it without permission.

You warrant that any designs, images, text, logos, or other materials you supply to us for a commission do not infringe the rights of any third party. You agree to indemnify us against claims arising from materials you provide, to the extent permitted by law.

We may photograph or record finished work, classes, workshops, or studio activities for archival, training, marketing, or promotional purposes, provided that we do so in accordance with applicable data protection law and any consent requirements.

8. Data protection and privacy

We process personal data in accordance with applicable UK data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We collect and use personal data for purposes including:

• managing bookings, memberships, enquiries, and payments;
• providing services and customer support;
• health, safety, and incident management;
• sending service-related communications;
• meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
• improving our services and, where permitted, marketing our offerings.

We will only process personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so. Further information about how we handle personal data, your rights, and how to contact us about privacy matters may be set out in our separate Privacy Policy, if published.

You are responsible for ensuring that any personal data you provide to us is accurate and that you have the right to share it with us where necessary.

9. Force majeure

We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations where such failure or delay results from events beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to:

• fire, flood, storm, or other extreme weather;
• power failure, utility outage, or equipment breakdown;
• industrial action or labour disputes;
• epidemic, pandemic, public health emergency, or government restriction;
• war, terrorism, civil unrest, or riot;
• transport disruption, supply chain failure, or unavailability of materials;
• acts or omissions of third parties outside our control.

Where a force majeure event affects a booking or service, we will use reasonable efforts to notify you and offer an alternative arrangement where practicable.

10. Changes to terms

We may update or amend these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, operational practices, or for other reasonable business reasons.

The updated Terms will take effect from the date stated at the top of the document or on the date they are published, as applicable. Continued use of our services after any update constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

If a change materially affects a booking, membership, or commission already paid for, we will act reasonably and in accordance with applicable law.

11. Applicable law and jurisdiction

These Terms, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

The courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising from or relating to these Terms, except that consumers resident in Scotland or Northern Ireland may also have rights to bring proceedings in their local courts where required by applicable law.

12. Contact information

If you have any questions about these Terms, a booking, a membership, a commission, or any other matter, please contact:

Hearth & Clay Pottery Studio
27 High Street, Improve, Kent TN10 4QJ, United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 20 7946 8372

13. Severability clause

If any provision of these Terms is found by a court or other competent authority to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, that provision shall be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, lawful, and enforceable, or, if that is not possible, severed from these Terms.

The remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

By booking, purchasing, attending, or using the services of Hearth & Clay Pottery Studio, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms of Service.