Hascombe Village Hall Booking Conditions
HASCOMBE VILLAGE HALL
Standard conditions of hire
In this agreement “the Committee” means the Management and trustees of Hascombe Village Hall, “Premises” means Hascombe Village Hall and its curtilage and all its contents and facilities and any part thereof, and “the Hirer” means the organisation, company, person or persons hiring the Premises.
The Hirer is responsible for safeguarding the Premises and indemnifies the Committee for the cost of repairs thereto arising from damage incurred during the period of, or attributable to, their hiring (see also 17 below). The Hirer will be accountable to Waverley Borough Council for any damage to the slabs around the hall, the playground next to the hall and the village recreation ground.
The Hirer is responsible for the conduct of all persons using the Premises during their hire period and preventing any activity which is likely to cause a nuisance (see also 16 below).
The Hirer is responsible for supervising car parking arrangements and, in particular, should ensure that no vehicles are parked on, or driven over, and part of the recreation ground or cause an obstruction in Mare Lane. Please be aware that while Mare Lane appears a quiet country lane, vehicles do occasionally travel past at speed and hirers should be aware of the dangers of allowing children to play near this road.
The Committee accepts no responsibility for items brought on to the Premises by the Hirer or for vehicles, including their contents, left in the car park.
The Hirer is required to comply with all statutory regulations and bye-laws issued by the Fire Authority, the Health and Safety Executive, The Magistrates’ Court and/or any other competent authority. The hirer must observe all food health and hygiene regulations relating to the preparation and provision of food and drink in the Premises.
The Hirer is not to sub-hire the Premises nor permit them to be used for any unlawful purpose or in any manner likely to jeopardise the insurance cover relative thereto.
The Hirer is required to obtain the permission of the Committee for the consumption of alcoholic liquor on the Premises. No alcoholic liquor may be sold on the Premises without an appropriate licence having first been obtained, for which the Hirer will be responsible.
The Committee reserves the right to cancel a hiring if the Premises are required for use as a polling station or if the Committee considers that the purposes of the hiring are not in the best interests of the village. The Committee also reserves the right to cancel any hiring, upon giving reasonable notice, if the Premises are required for a traditional village event. In all such events a full refund will be made to the Hirer of any monies paid.
The Premises cannot be booked for teenage parties, football parties or go karts.
The Hirer must ensure that no animals (including birds), except guide or assistance dogs, are brought into the Premises.
The Hirer will book the Premises for a minimum of 3 hours for parties.
The Hirer will ensure their booking includes time to set up and clean & tidy at the end of the event.
The cordoned off cricket wicket is out-of-bounds.
If the Hirer cancels a hiring within 30 days of the due date and the Committee is unable to arrange a replacement hiring, the question of payment and repayment of the hiring charges will be at the sole discretion of the Committee.
The Premises must be vacated at the end of the booking period and in any event not later than 10pm in the case of non-village users or 12 midnight for village users. The Hirer is responsible for leaving the Premises in a clean and tidy condition, removing all rubbish, removing all equipment which is not the property of the Committee, returning all contents to their proper places and for switching off all lights and electrical appliances. For each booking specific arrangements will be in place made for the locking of all windows and doors and the return and/or safeguarding of keys; the Hirer is responsible for ensuring that such arrangements are followed.
No indoor tables and chairs will be placed outside the hall, and no materials of any kind attached to walls or surfaces of the hall without prior consent being granted.
Use of bouncy castles is at the Hirer’s own risk and must follow the guidelines detailed below.
Responsible supervision at all times.
No use by children under 2, and restricted use by age group, ie 2-5s, 6-12 and over 12s must not be mixed.
Soft matting must be used.
Hire company safety instructions.
In accordance with Fire Regulations (see Condition 6), the use of smoke, fireworks, naked flames, smoke machines or similar devices, or any flammable substances is strictly prohibited anywhere on the premises.
Hirers conducting commercial activities or representing formal groups or organisations are required to provide their own public liability insurance to cover any claims arising from their use of the premises. Proof of valid insurance must be provided prior to the event or activity.
Capacity – the number of people on the premises shall not exceed 100 seated or 120 standing.
Guidance for large groups (parties, dances etc)
a) At least 4 responsible people should be appointed to keep unauthorised people out of the Premises, to ensure that Health and Safety Regulations are followed and generally to keep order.
b) Noise levels should be monitored and should not be allowed to reach a point where they become a nuisance to the owners of neighbouring properties.
c) Guests should be advised that stiletto (or similar) heels will not be allowed on the Premises because the Hirer is responsible (see condition 2) for all damage, including damage to the floor.
Safeguarding Policy
All Hascombe Village Hall Committee members, staff and volunteers have a duty to safeguard vulnerable users of the hall and those who may come into contact with vulnerable users.
They should respond to any concerns they may have regarding the physical, sexual, emotional or psychological safety of a vulnerable person or concerns relating to discriminatory or financial violation or exploitation of a vulnerable person.
This policy is in place to protect all vulnerable persons regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, religion or faith.
Principles
The welfare of the child or vulnerable adult is paramount and is the responsibility of everyone. All children and vulnerable adults, without exception, have the right to protection from abuse, whether physical, verbal, sexual, bullying, exclusion or neglect. Bullying, shouting, physical violence, sexism and racism towards children will not be permitted or tolerated.
Policy Statement
No member of the trustees, helpers or other volunteers or staff will have unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults unless they have been through the safe recruitment procedure and introductory Child Protection or Vulnerable Adults Protection training.
All suspicions or allegations of abuse against a child will be taken seriously and dealt with speedily and appropriately.
All staff and volunteers need to be aware of this policy, child protection and vulnerable adult issues.
There will be a nominated and named Vulnerable Users Representative to whom any suspicions or concerns should be reported. That person is Norman Simpson.
The committee will endeavour to keep the premises safe for use by children and vulnerable adults. The committee recognises that a higher standard of safety is required where use is made by small children, those who cannot read safety notices and physically disabled adults.
The Committee will require hirers to report any damage, breakages or safety issues needing attention to the booking clerk or a member of the committee who will inform the appropriate people. Such issues will be dealt with as soon as practicable in the light of the circumstances with provision to prevent access by children and vulnerable adults pending repair where appropriate.
Contractors engaged to carry out work to the premises must not be allowed unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults.
If the premises are being used by more than one Hirer, the attention of Hirers must be drawn to the need to ensure that children and vulnerable adults are supervised when using the toilets.
Any organisations or individuals hiring the Hall for the purposes of holding activities where Ofsted registration is required should show their registration and their own child protection policy. Safe recruitment processes should be used to appoint staff who will be working with children or vulnerable adults in any kind of activity.
The committee will ensure that Hirers are made aware of their obligations under the licensing act 2003 to ensure that alcohol is not sold to those under the age of 18. The Committee will ensure that Hirers are aware that no children may be admitted to films when they are below the age classification for the film or show in question. No gambling or entertainment of an adult or sexual nature shall be permitted on the premises.
These policies and procedures shall be reviewed annually and updated as appropriate in the interim period.
Any organisations or individuals hiring the hall as a venue for an event or activity for under 18s or vulnerable adults must ensure that they are fully cognisant of relevant and current safeguarding requirements. When using the Hall they must adopt suitable procedures to ensure that they fully comply with the law, good practice and common sense including sufficient and appropriate levels of supervision at all times. The Committee reserves the right to require hirers to provide copies of their own safeguarding policies and procedures to give appropriate assurance as necessary.
To be reviewed biennially
Approved by the committee: December 2024. Date last reviewed: 2024.
Hascombe Village Hall is a registered charitable trust, registration number 248414.
Complaints Handling Policy
Introduction
The Hascombe Village Hall Trustees have advised the Charities Commission that they have a formal Complaints Handling Procedure.
It is intended to provide a quick, transparent and impartial system for dealing with problems that arise.
The Hascombe Village Hall Committee is committed to maintaining its strong partnership with members of the local community and users of the village hall.
We are open to feedback and comments about our work, both positive and negative as these can provide us with valuable information about our effectiveness and how we can better meet our aims.
Policy and Procedure
If any user of the Village Hall or member of the local community is unhappy about the standard of service provided, the quality of the facilities within the Hall, the safety of users, the handling of a particular situation or issue or any other matter, the Committee would seek to rectify this.
The Village Hall Committee is committed to equal opportunities and we take complaints about discrimination very seriously. Our complaints procedure has been adopted to ensure that most complaints are resolved quickly and smoothly.
Our policy is intended to:
Provide a transparent and fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for all.
Publicise the existence of our complaints procedure so that people know how to contact us to make their views known.
Ensure that everyone involved in the Hall and its committee knows what to do when a complaint is received.
Ensure all complaints are investigated in a fair and timely manner.
Ensure that wherever possible complaints are resolved quickly, preserving our valuable relationships with stakeholders so that all our customers and the community benefit.
Gather information to help us improve on what we do and how we do it.
Definition of a complaint
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction whether justified or not, about Hascombe Village Hall. All complaints should be raised within 3 months or, in exceptional circumstances 6 months from any incident or issue.
Where and how complaints are received
Complaints may come from members of the public or persons and organisations using the hall, local residents, suppliers or their representatives. A complaint can be received verbally, face to face or by phone, by email or letter.
Confidentiality
All complaints will be handled sensitively and confidentially and in accordance with data protection requirements. The Trustees will not discriminate in any way in their handling of complaints.
Anyone receiving a complaint should be respectful and calm taking the time to properly listen and understand your complaint. We may ask for more detail in order to clarify circumstances or context.
Once we have listened to a complaint, we will repeat it back to ensure there is a shared understanding of the issue. We will also ensure that we ask what resolution would be acceptable from the complainant’s perspective
Responsibility
Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with the Village Hall Committee. The Committee aims to acknowledge complaints within 7 days and to give a written response within 2 weeks. If the complaint is judged to involve complex issues, complainants will be informed of progress within 2 weeks and informed when to expect a final response. The main aim is to resolve complaints as quickly as possible and to everyone’s satisfaction.
Procedure for handling complaints
What to do if something goes wrong – step 1 informal
Informal complaints should be raised with the Chair, the Treasurer or the Secretary who can be reached via hascombehall@gmail.com. Complainants who remain dissatisfied have the option to escalate their complaint to a formal status.
If we can’t address your concerns right away – step 2 formal
Sometimes even prompt action can’t put right something that you may be dissatisfied about. In those cases, please put your concerns in writing via email to the Chair making clear all the relevant facts in relation to your complaint including your name, address and telephone number (or email).
In responding to your complaint we will share with you in writing what action we have taken, the appropriate conclusions from any investigations and the resulting actions in conclusion. The Village Hall committee will receive and discuss any complaints at its next meeting to ensure that a fair and balanced approach is taken to all issues arising.
To be reviewed biennially
Approved by the committee: 10 December 2024. Date last reviewed: 2024.
Hascombe Village Hall is a registered charitable trust, registration number 248414.