Hiring Policy

CRUDWELL VILLAGE HALL & RECREATION GROUND Registered Charity no.294177

HIRING POLICY FOR ALL USERS

1. GENERAL
2. The Bookings Secretary, Treasurer, and Chair of the Crudwell Village Hall Committee are the only people authorised by the Trustees of Crudwell Village Hall & Recreation Ground (CVHRG) to accept bookings for Crudwell village Hall and its field area.
3. In signing the booking form, the Hirer accepts responsibility for the booking and all terms and conditions associated with it. The Hirer must be aged 18 or over.
4. The Trustees of CVHRG reserve the right to refuse any application for the use of the village Hall.
5. The Trustees of CVHRG accept no liability for personal injury caused to any person anywhere on the premises or its surrounding area.
6. The Trustees of CVHRG retain the right to enter the premises during any function for the purpose of checking on security, safety and compliance with the conditions of hire but otherwise will seek prior permission from the Hirer.
7. The Hirer shall not sublet the hiring or use the premises for any unlawful purpose or in any unlawful way do anything or bring anything on to the premises that may endanger the property or public or may in any way invalidate any insurance policy held by the Trustees of CVHRG.
8. The play equipment located at the back of the Hall in the enclosed area between the Hall and Tetbury Lane, is owned and operated by Crudwell Pre-School and as such is not included in the hire of the Hall. If use of this equipment is desired, it is the Hirer’s responsibility to obtain written permission from Crudwell Pre-School.
9. Dogs, apart from registered assistance dogs, are not allowed anywhere on the field, multisport facility or play areas. Dog fouling in the car park must be cleared up.
10. Dogs, apart from registered assistance dogs, are not allowed inside the Hall except with the prior written permission of the Trustees of CVHRG.
11. BOOKINGS – GENERAL POLICIES FOR ALL HIRERS
12. Booking Agreement: All Hirers of the Hall will be issued with and must sign the Acceptance of Hire Policy and Terms and Conditions and return it to the Bookings Secretary before the commencement of their hire period.
13. Access: Access to the Hall will be provided between the times stipulated on the Booking Agreement, whether by Regular or Ad Hoc users. Anyone wishing to access the Hall outside of their booking slot must make prior arrangements with the Booking Secretary.
14. Cleaning: All users are required to leave the Hall in an acceptable state for the next user and adhere to the Covid rules and those general cleaning rules contained within our Terms and Conditions.
15. Sale and consumption of alcohol – It is not permitted to sell alcohol on the premises without the benefit of a Temporary Events Notice (TEN). If alcohol is to be sold at an event, the Hirer must so inform the Bookings Secretary at the time of booking. It is the Hirer’s responsibility to arrange the necessary TEN and provide a copy to the Bookings Secretary in advance of the event.
16. Electrical equipment: It is the Hirer’s responsibility to ensure that any electrical equipment brought by them or those attending their function for use in the Hall is safe and if appropriate has been (PAT) tested in accordance with current legislation. Extension leads must be secured safely so that they are not a hazard.
17. Chairs and tables stored inside the Hall are for use inside the Hall only and not be taken outside. Items that may cause heat damage should not be placed on the tables without proper heat protection.
18. Barbecues: No disposable barbecues are allowed inside the village Hall or on its grounds. If any Hirer wishes to use a barbecue as part of an event, the Booking Secretary must be so advised in writing beforehand, and the barbecue(s) must be monitored at all times by a responsible adult. Any barbecue(s) must be located outside of the Hall and at a reasonable distance away from the Hall.
19. Raffle/lottery tickets: If during hire, official raffle/lottery tickets are to be sold, the Hirer is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate licences are held and accepts full responsibility for any actions that may arise from selling such tickets without a licence. (Please see the CVHRG Licence on the notice board in reception).
20. Dropdown screen: The large dropdown screen located at the far end of the Hall is not the property of the Trustees of CVHRG. Hirers are allowed to use the screen subject to prior approval and instruction by the Booking Secretary or the Chairman of CVHRG. In any event, the Hirer is responsible for any damage to the screen howsoever caused and will be responsible for its immediate repair or replacement as deemed necessary by the owner of the screen. The smaller dropdown screen in the committee room is the property of CVHRG and may be used subject to permission.
21. Hire Rates: The current rates are available on our website (crudwellvillagehall.org) or on request from the Booking Secretary.

• Rates are reviewed annually in September with immediate effect for ad hoc enquiries, and for Regular users, with effect from the following 1st January.

11. Cancellations: The Trustees of CVHRG reserve the right to cancel or refuse any booking by written notice to the Hirer in the event that:

• the Hall is required for use as a Polling Station or similar
• the Trustees of CVHRG consider that the hiring will lead to a breach of licensing conditions, other legal or statutory requirements, or if unlawful or unsuitable activities will take place at the Hall as a result of the booking
• the Hall is rendered unfit for use or the intended use by the /Hirer
• an emergency occurs which requires the use of the Hall as a shelter

In any such case, the Hirer shall be entitled to a refund of any deposit, hire payment or Bond already paid, but the Trustees of CVHRG shall not be liable to the Hirer for any resulting direct or indirect loss or damage whatsoever.

12. Maximum numbers: Subject to Covid-19 restrictions ruling, the maximum number of people permitted to use the main Hall shall not exceed:

• when used for standing audience: 240
• when used for functions with no tables or chairs: 200
• when used for functions with tables and chairs: 120
• when used for closed seated audiences: 200

REGULAR USERS (those representing individuals, Clubs or Groups that have agreed with CVHRG to hire the Hall on a regular basis)

1. General: Regular Users agree in advance to hire the Hall in a specific time slot on a regular weekly or monthly basis and they are required to sign an Acceptance of Hire Policy and Terms and Conditions agreement to this effect annually. These dates will be block-booked in the Hall calendar.
2. Cleaning: All Regular Users are required to leave the Hall in an acceptable state for the next user and adhere to the Covid rules and those general cleaning rules contained within our Terms and Conditions CVH/RF/TC08/January 2022.
3. Payment: Once a block-booking is made, invoices will be issued monthly or as agreed with the user. For any booked dates that are not subsequently used, a credit may be given at the discretion of the Trustees of CVHRG and subject to sufficient advance notice. A refundable deposit may be requested from new Regular users.
4. Hall access: Regular users may be issued with a passcode to enter the Hall and a key to the storeroom at the discretion of the Trustees of CVHRG and subject to the main Hirer of their group adhering to the following key holders’ rules:

• The main Hirer will be held responsible for the safety of their group’s key(s) and Fobs. That person is required to retain and provide a copy a list of all keyholders in their group to the Chairman of the CVHRG, so that in the event of an emergency or insurance claim all keyholders can be contacted. If a key or Fob is lost, stolen or otherwise mislaid, that person will be held liable for the cost of its replacement as well as the potential replacement of all other keys, Fobs and locks to the Hall.
• Should the main Hirer change, the new Hirer must provide a new updated list of all key holders to the Booking Secretary who must be notified immediately so that a new key holders’ details can be recorded.
• Any Group found to misuse the privilege of having a key by going in before their booked time, staying beyond their booked time, sharing the key with another user or individual, or making use of the Hall at a time they have not booked, will be asked to return all their keys and Fobs.

5. Equipment: Groups may be permitted to leave their own equipment in the storeroom subject to space being available and at the discretion of the Trustees. Groups will be allocated a shelf and all their equipment must be placed on their shelf and not left on the floor, due to fire regulations and in consideration of other users. Groups using the storeroom must ensure all their equipment is kept tidy and organised. Failure to comply with these storage rules will result in the loss of said storage.
6. Insurance: Any equipment left in the storeroom must be covered by the Group’s own insurance and the Trustees accept no responsibility whatsoever for any loss or damage to any Group’s equipment or possessions. It is the Hirer’s responsibility to ensure that adequate insurance is in place where relevant. Each regular Hirer has an insurable interest in their own equipment and as such should insure it themselves.

AD HOC USERS (for one-off bookings subject to availability)

1. Agreement: Once a booking for a one-off hire is agreed with the Booking Secretary, our Acceptance of Hire Policy and Terms and Conditions of Hire (CVH/Acc.form/RF/1.2022) will be issued which must be signed by the Hirer and returned to the Booking Secretary together with a £50 deposit. For Saturday or weekend hire, a £150 Bond may be required together with the £50 booking deposit.
2. Equipment: Equipment requirements, such as tables and chairs, additional crockery etc. must be indicated at the time of booking.
3. Payment: All payments are to be transacted using our online payment application. For weekend hire, the full hire charge, booking deposit and refundable Bond where applicable, must be paid in advance at least 14 days prior to the event.
4. Cleaning and Damage:

Please refer to the Cleaning Check List for Hirers (CCL/RF/January 2022) provide together with the Acceptance of Hire Policy and Terms and Conditions (CVH/Acc.form/RF/ January 2022)

• Experience has shown that, especially after a large evening function, it can be a sizable task to return the Hall to the condition in which it was found. For this reason, a Saturday evening hire includes two hours access the following Sunday morning from 08:30am to 10:30am for the Hirer to thoroughly clean the Hall, subject to availability. [If the Hall is not available the following morning, cleaning must be completed by the Hirer at the end of the function on the previous (Saturday) evening].
• A refundable Bond, currently £200 to cover damage and cleanliness, will be taken for ad hoc bookings and invoiced with the full hire charge. There is a reduced Bond rate for some events, such as evenings meetings and/or children’s parties for those of primary school age (5-11) or younger, which may be used at the discretion of the Trustees of CVHRG.
• The deposit and Bond will be returned to the Hirer within 28 days after the hire date unless a report indicates that the Hall was not left in an acceptable condition in which case all or part of the deposit or Bond may be retained by the CVHRG. Costs to remedy (cleaning and making good) will be based on an appropriate commercial rate ruling.

5. Cancellations:

• Cancellations must be emailed by the Hirer with at least 14 days’ notice, to the Booking secretary bookings@cvhrg.org.uk
• If a booking is cancelled prior to the event, the £50 booking deposit may be returned to the Hirer if a replacement booking has been made. If the Hirer does not make a replacement booking, it will only be refunded at the discretion of the Trustees of CVHRG.
• If the booking is cancelled within 14 days of the event, the Hirer shall remain liable for the hire charge unless a replacement booking is made or refunded at the discretion of the Chair of the CVHRG Trustees.
• The Bond will be refunded in the event of a cancellation.

1. FIRE SAFETY REGULATIONS

• The person in charge of the function MUST check the location of all fire exits and exit points. At ALL times these must be free from obstruction.
• Fire exit doors are located between the main entrance and the committee room, and at the exit to the Pre-School play area.
• The Hirer must be aware of the location all fire extinguishers and the fire blanket. Fire extinguishers are located in the KITCHEN, LOBBY and SIDE of the Hall. A fire blanket is located in the kitchen. Please read the operating instructions.
• The person in charge should be aware of who is attending the function in case of an evacuation and ensure that members of the group are designated to supervise and check the building is vacated, without taking personal risk.
• IN CASE OF FIRE, call the Fire Brigade immediately and call the Chair of CVHRG Trustees.
• The Hirer should ensure that everyone leaves the building by the nearest available exit and go to the Fire Assembly Point in the car park. The Hirer should ensure that all people at the function are accounted for. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should anyone stop to collect personal belongings.
• If safe to do so, the fire may be attacked with the appliances available but AT NO TIME should anyone take personal risks.
• If it is safe to do so, all electrical appliances should be switched off and all doors and windows closed.
• Under NO circumstances should anyone re-enter the building until instructed by a responsible person.

CONTACTS:

Village Hall pay phone (located in cloakroom off foyer): 01666 577764

Managing Trustees:

Booking secretary: bookings@crudwellvillagehall.org

Chair: chair@crudwellvillagehall.org.

Treasurer: treasurer@crudwellvillagehall.org

Temporary Caretaker: 07702 004 704