DEFINITIONS

“The Hall” refers to the Ettington Community Centre in its entirety if the whole building is booked; any of the rooms if booked individually along with toilets and public areas;  the car park; and the land immediately adjacent to the building.

“The Committee” refers to Ettington Community Centre Committee for the purpose of these Terms and Conditions.

“The Hirer” refers to an individual or representative of an organisation hiring the premises for an agreed purpose, and whose responsibility it will be to ensure compliance with these Terms and Conditions and any licences attached to the reservation.

BOOKINGS

These conditions prohibit the hire of The Hall by persons under the age of 18 (“ junior”). Anyone booking the hall on behalf of a junior will be regarded as the Hirer and must be aware of the responsibilities to which they will be liable.

The Committee reserves the right to decline requests for events in which the Hall or the activity may be considered unsuitable – a large teenage party for example.

Entrance to the Hall is given via the Key Safe, the code access to which will be provided 15 minutes prior to the agreed start time and only after a Hire Agreement has been signed, and all payments toward the booking have been received. From this moment The Hirer accepts responsibility for the building and all its contents as described in these Terms and Conditions. The Hirer also accepts that the code and the keys must not be passed on to third parties. Failure to adhere to this condition will render The Hirer responsible for any booking fees and damages that the building and/or its surroundings may incur through said parties.

PAYMENTS

The Hirer agrees to make payments toward a booking as agreed with the Bookings Secretary prior to confirmation, and as described in the Hire Agreement.

A Refundable Deposit is requested in relation to all reservations. This deposit will be refunded only after a representative of The Committee has visited the Hall and after inspection it is decided that no damage has been done, and all areas of the Hall are clean and tidy. Please read END OF THE RESERVATION PERIOD at the end of this document.

A booking will be considered confirmed upon receipt of the signed Hire Agreement and payment of the Refundable Deposit. Settlement of the booking fees must be made no later than a full month prior to the booked date. In the event that a booking request is made within 4 weeks of the event date payment in full must be made at the time of signing the Hire Agreement.  Any extra time subsequently requested or used will be invoiced at the hourly rate after the event.

The Committee undertakes an annual review of the fees so bookings that are confirmed more than a year in advance of the event may be subject to changes in prices should any apply.

CANCELLATIONS

Cancellation of a booking must be made in writing directly to the Bookings Secretary. The cancellation will be effective from the moment it is received and cancellation fees may apply according to the length of the notice period given:

• Full refund will be made if the cancellation notice predates the booking by one full month or more.
• 50% refund will be made if the cancellation notice is received between one month and two weeks prior to the booking.
• No refund will be made if the cancellation notice is received within two weeks of the booking.

The Committee reserves the right to cancel a hiring by written notice at the earliest opportunity to The Hirer in the event of any of the following:

• The Community Centre being requisitioned by local or national government e.g. for an election polling station.
• The Community Centre being required as an emergency shelter.
• The Community Centre being rendered unusable or unsuitable for the purpose intended by The Hirer.

Full reimbursement of any monies already paid by The Hirer will be made in these cases.

CCTV

Our primary concern is to provide a safe and clean environment for our hirers and it is our duty to protect and maintain the Community Centre on behalf of our village.

The property is managed and well cared for predominantly by volunteers and from a security perspective is not staffed 24/7.

CCTV which is clearly advertised inside and outside the building was installed some years ago inside the property . Cameras are positioned in plain sight as required by the Information Commission. Within the building they are used in the main hall and small hall.

At the community centre their purpose is to deter those who might wish to gain unlawful access to the centre and they are also provided for the security and safeguarding of users of the facility. Their presence supports hirers who may require the peace of mind of being able to call on video footage to resolve any potential misunderstandings. These could relate to the conduct of participants or with other hirers when start and finish times or the condition of the facilities may give rise to dispute.

CCTV footage is reviewed only under the circumstances outlined above and not as a matter of course. In line with guidance from the Information Commission, we are entitled to capture this content for use with Health and Safety assessments when needed.

Access to this footage is limited to a small number of committee members with DBS accreditations and it is deleted after 1 month.

ACCIDENT AND DAMAGE

The Hirer shall compensate The Committee for the cost of repair of any damage caused to the Community Centre and its contents by The Hirer’s invitees or agents.  The Hirer must have a valid insurance cover in place for the duration of the Reservation Period that will fully cover any damage caused to the Community Centre. Any damage to the Hall or its fixtures and fittings should be reported to the Committee at the end of the reservation period or sooner in the case of serious damage.

PREMISES SUITABILITY

It is solely the Hirer’s responsibility to ensure that the Community Centre is suitable for the specified purpose of hire. Should the Community Centre or any part of it be unfit for the said purpose The Committee shall not be liable to the Hirer for any resulting loss or damage whatsoever.

SUPERVISION

The Hirer must be present for the duration of the Reservation Period and agrees to supervise use of the Community Centre throughout, keep all doors locked and all electricity supplies switched off when the rooms are not in use. He/She must obtain all necessary licences and ensure compliance therewith. The Hirer is also responsible for the behaviour of all persons in the Hall during the event.

FOOD, HEALTH & HYGIENE

It is The Hirer’s responsibility to ensure that all food is handled and prepared to meet safety standards. It is also The Hirer’s responsibility to verify that a hired caterer has all the relevant food safety standards certifications and submit copies thereof to the Bookings Secretary.

MUSIC

Our licence conditions state music must cease by 12 midnight on Friday and Saturday nights; 10.30pm on all other nights. As a condition of the Hire Agreement you should always agree to cooperate fully with any advice or instruction given by officers of The Committee or Stratford District Council .

NOISE CONTROL

The Committee has been advised by Stratford District Council (SDC) Public Protection Team to bring the following conditions of the Licensing Act 2003 to your attention:

The Hirer shall ensure that noise from the Premises does not cause a nuisance to persons in the neighbourhood. Any music and vocals at the premises shall be so controlled as to be inaudible within any neighbouring residential accommodation at all times.

FIREWORKS AND CHINESE LANTERNS

Chinese Lanterns are not permitted in the Hall or within the Hall’s outdoor boundaries. Fireworks may be allowed only after consideration of the request and at the discretion of The Committee and authorisation of the licence application to the local authority by The Committee. Internal pyrotechnics if permitted may only be activated by qualified personnel.

ANIMALS

No animals, with the exception of guide dogs, are allowed in the Hall and/or any of its rooms. (Please notify the Bookings Secretary in advance of any known guide dog visits.)

In the case of the hire of the facilities for the training or exhibition of animals, while their wellbeing and the enjoyment of animal lovers is a very important consideration, the overriding concern must be to provide safe and hygienic surroundings for other booked events the majority of which involve babies, toddlers, children or fitness groups. The approach we take today as a centre and as a committee has been influenced largely ed by engagement with these groups and noting  feedback from others over the course of several years.

With this consideration in mind we will take a fair view when potential hirers, particularly if they are members of the immediate local community, approach us with a new request relating to the hire of the facilities for the training or exhibition of animals. This may therefore be subject to the application of a trial period with mutually agreed conditions. The monitoring of how those conditions are met will influence any decision about the long-term running of the session once the trial period has concluded. Monitoring may take the form of CCTV footage, anecdotal feedback and direct two-way engagement between the Hirer and a member of the management committee.

DECORATIONS, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EQUIPMENT FOR ENTERTAINMENT

The Hirer agrees to respect the premises by not using nails or adhesive tapes to decorate the walls. Mounting putty (eg. blu tack) may be used to put up decorations but must be removed when they come down.  All tables and chairs may be decorated with appropriate fabric or paper but without the use of strong adhesives. Flammable decorations must be treated with flame retardant spray.

It is the responsibility of The Hirer to safeguard respectful use of all electric appliances in the kitchen, electronic equipment in the rooms, Projector and Projector screens, Sound System and microphones, Stage Lights and Speakers.

It is The Hirer’s responsibility to ensure that any outside entertainment company hired for the event is fully certified to operate and presents all current and accurate insurances and licences, including safety procedures and undertaken a suitable risk assessment.  All electrical equipment must have up-to-date PAT test certification.

CAR PARK

Users park entirely at their own risk and The Committee accepts no liability for loss of or damage to vehicles or property left inside the vehicles.

FIRE SAFETY REGULATIONS

Your attention is drawn to the fire safety escape plan displayed in the entrance lobby to the Centre. All Hirer’s should familiarise themselves with the advice therein and note that the Fire Assembly Point is the green shelter at the rear of the building by the tennis courts.

END OF THE RESERVATION PERIOD

The Hirer shall at the end of the Reservation Period leave the Community Centre and its contents, fixtures, and fittings in the condition in which they were found at the beginning of the Period. In particular he/she must make sure the Community Centre is cleaned throughout including, but not limited to, the kitchen and bathrooms, and all general and recyclable waste is disposed of appropriately in the bins located by the car park.

All contents and furnishings temporarily removed from their usual positions or storerooms by the Hirer or any persons permitted access to the Community Centre by the Hirer must be reinstated, and the Hirer shall ensure that the car park and surrounding areas are left tidy.

Failure to adhere to these requirements may result in retention wholly or in part of the Refundable Deposit and may necessitate the imposition of additional costs.

Cleaning materials are located next to the disabled toilets.