TRAVEL POLICY

FOR IN-PERSON EVENTS

If you require financial assistance to attend our in-person events, GROW can offer you a travel reimbursement!

To ensure you meet the conditions required and provide us with all the necessary information to make a successful claim, please follow the guidelines and rules below:

How to claim expenses:

  1. A specific link for the event you are attending will be sent to you in advance of the event.

  2. You must submit your expenses through this link only.

  3. The link will close 7 days after the event has taken place.

How much we reimburse

  • We reimburse up to £150.

  • Any amount over £150 needs pre-approval: email finance@growmentoring.org before you travel.

  • Expenses will only be reimbursed if they are the most cost-effective option available.

  • If purchasing a railcard reduces the total cost of your journey, GROW will reimburse your purchase of this card. If you already have a railcard, you must use it: GROW will not reimburse a second one.When booking your travel, please ensure you retain copies of all travel tickets and receipts, as these will be necessary for the reimbursement process. 

Who can claim, and for what

  • You must attend the event to be reimbursed. Attendance is taken when you sign in at the event.

  • Keep copies of all travel tickets and receipts when you book: you will need them to claim.

  • Public transport only. Taxis, Uber, Bolt and other private travel are not covered, and accommodation is not a reimbursable expense.

  • Travel standard class, by the most direct and most cost-efficient route. Only reasonable travel expenses are reimbursed, at GROW Mentoring’s sole discretion.

  • You may only claim for yourself, not for anyone who travelled with you but did not attend.

  • We reimburse travel to and from the bus or train station you gave in your sign-up application. University students: please make sure you gave the correct station.

Receipts

  • List each receipt separately, with its own amount. If a receipt covers several things, claim only your travel and say which amount you are claiming.

  • A photo or PDF of at least one receipt or confirmation email must be attached before the claim can be sent. A clear photo or screenshot of a ticket is fine.

  • If a receipt is not in pounds, we will need a copy of your bank statement to confirm the conversion rate.

Bank details and payment

  • We ask for the account holder’s full name, sort code and account number (or an IBAN and BIC for an account outside the UK). If you are not the account holder, tell us your relationship to them and why.

  • We aim to reimburse within 28 days of your claim. Your claim reference, shown when you submit, is your proof of submission: quote it in any email about your claim. You must attend the event to receive a reimbursement of your travel expenses. Attendance will be taken when you sign-in to the event. 

How we look after your information

  • Your details are used only to assess and pay your claim.

  • Bank details are visible only to GROW finance staff, are hidden on screen until deliberately revealed, and every time they are viewed it is recorded.

  • Once your claim has been paid, your bank details are deleted automatically 90 days later. The record of the payment itself is kept for our accounts and audit.

  • If a claim is rejected, the bank details are deleted straight away and the receipts are removed 30 days later.

This policy and any communications referred to in it constitute the entire Travel Policy of GROW Mentoring and supersede any promises, agreements, representations, undertakings or implications, oral or written, between you and us on this subject.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes! All you need to do is take photos of every ticket and receipt you have, and attach those to the reimbursement form.

  • While we are able to reimburse contactless TfL payments in exceptional circumstances, we would prefer that you either purchase a physical ticket for your journey or retain journey details and costs through your Oyster card account.

  • A receipt is a document which must include the following information:

    1. Where you travelled from, and to;

    2. Whether your ticket is a single or return;

    3. How much the ticket cost; and

    4. The date/time which your journey took place.

    Usually, public transport providers call these documents “receipts”, “expense receipts” or “invoices”. This is not the same as your journey confirmation email.

  • Yes! All you have to do is sign-into TfL Oyster and send us a screenshot of the journey you made, and how much it cost. This information can be found under the “Journey History” tab.

  • The subject line should read: “Travel Expenses [Insert Event Name]”.

    Please do not refer to the name of a law firm or organisation unless it is in the title of the event.

    Feel free to use the following email template when contacting GROW about your travel reimbursement:

    ***

    Hi Alex,

    Please find attached my travel reimbursement form, all my receipts, and copies of my travel tickets for [Insert Event Name].

    I can confirm my travel costs amount to £[Insert Number], and this [has/has not] been pre-approved by GROW.

    Kind regards,

    [Your Name]

  • We accept travel expense claims one week after following an event.

    This date will usually be at the top of the link sent to you for reimbursement claims.

    This deadline also applies to attendees who need to pre-approve travel liable to exceed the maximum reimbursement value for an event.

  • When providing information regarding your location, you must name the bus/train station you are travelling from.

    When signing up to events, make sure you know which bus/train station you will be utilising for your journey. We will not be able to reimburse any travel for attendees who provided incorrect travel information.

  • As long as your journey utilises public transport, is the most direct route, and the most cost-efficient route - yes!

    When you receive a confirmation email regarding the event, you must email alex@growmentoring.org screenshots of your proposed route (and its costs) so it can be pre-approved.

    We will not reimburse any expensive travel that has not been pre-approved.

  • We do not accept physical copies of receipts. These will need to be submitted through the link sent to you

  • All you need to provide is the name of the bus/train station that you are travelling from. This is so we can check it matches your travel tickets/receipts.

    Unfortunately, if you do not provide this information, your application will be incomplete and we will not be able to reimburse your travel costs.

  • GROW are able to reimburse fuel costs if it is more cost-effective than utilising public transport. GROW will not be able to cover the cost of parking.

    To calculate your fuel costs, please input your journey information into the AA Mileage Calculator, and attach a screenshot of the calculated expenses to your travel reimbursement form.