WHALLEY VILLAGE HALL   -  TERMS & CONDITIONS (2015)

 

1) General

 

a)     All bookings must be made through the Booking Secretary, who has delegated powers to give instructions to the hirers (either verbal or written), which will form part of these Terms and Conditions.

b)     The maximum numbers of persons permitted to use the premises are:

Main Hall                                      150

Meeting Room     25

Austin Room                                50

c)      A deposit of up to £500 may be required as security against any damage to the fabric or structure of the building or against other expenses incurred as a result of the letting.

d)     The Village Hall’s own insurance policy does not cover loss or damage to any goods or property brought into the Hall by users, (or stored in the cupboards), or to injury that is a direct result of the users’ activity. The Village Hall Committee does not accept any responsibility for damage, however caused, or for theft of hirers’ property, and may dispose of anything left on the premises.

e)     The nominated fire officer must be an adult. Bookings cannot be accepted from anyone under the age of 18, unless subsequently confirmed by an adult. Where numbers of young persons are to be present, an appropriate number of adults must also attend to supervise activities; details to be discussed at time of booking.

f)        Smoking is not permitted in any part of the Whalley Village Hall.

g)     Alcohol may not be sold on the premise without prior permission and proof of a licence having been obtained and, under no circumstances in the Austin Room or stairway.

h)      The playing of ball games is restricted to the Main Hall, but the hirer is liable for any resulting damage as in (3b) below.

i)        Although every effort will be made to do this when the Hall is not in use, the Village Hall Committee reserves the right for its members and officers to visit the Hall at any time for maintenance and other purposes.

j)        The Village Hall Committee reserves the right to refuse a booking or to terminate a regular booking in the event of failure to comply with any of the Terms and Conditions or where said booking is considered to be of an objectionable nature. On rare occasions the Hall will not be available for regular hirers, e.g. when there are previous commitments or when essential maintenance is in progress. On such occasions we will endeavour to give as much notice as possible.

 

2) Charges and Payment

 

a)     The booking-rates are per session and are reviewed annually but the Committee reserves the right periodically to alter rates. Any individual or group may apply to the Committee for a reduction of fees; a reduction will only be considered if it is felt that the activity has particular benefits for the Village community; the decision of the Committee is final.

b)     The total time booked must include preparation time and the time to clear up after the event. Rooms that have not been booked and paid for should not be used. Any change of times or rooms must be requested - and agreed - in advance. Where two hirers share a session and its cost, the full session charge must be paid even when only one hirer makes use of the hall.

c)      A deposit will be required to cover potential damage or additional cleaning costs. For single events this will ideally be in the form of a cheque which will not normally be cashed.

d)     There will be an annual charge for any items that need to be stored in cupboards or elsewhere. Storage space is very limited and is only available for regular weekly users. All loose items must be removed at the end of each session.

e)     Invoices for regular users are produced at the beginning of each month and will show all bookings made for that month. Any errors or cancellations should be immediately notified to the Booking Secretary. Invoices for single events will be issued to the hirer prior to the date of the booking.

f)        Payment can be online, by cheque, (made payable to Whalley Village Hall), or cash and should be sent to the Treasurer before the 25th of that month for regular users. Payment in cash can only be accepted at the hirer’s risk and on the understanding that it is his/her responsibility to obtain a receipt or have the invoice receipted at the time of payment. In the case of single events, payment can also be made to the Booking Officer at the time of booking. Please quote group name & invoice number with payment.

g)     Late payment may result in additional charges or the refusal to accept future bookings. No charges will be levied if a cancellation is received by the Booking Secretary 14 days prior to the booking. Failure to do so will require the hirer to pay the full booking charges.

 

3) Hirers’ Responsibilities

 

a)    The key and the security of the premises during hire period. (Details of obtaining and returning the key and the location of other essential equipment will be supplied at time of booking.) The security of the building and access to it, i.e. ensuring that all those who enter have a right to be there; this can sometimes involve more than one hirer. They should ensure that the lights are switched off and the heating re-set, (if preset controls have been overridden or radiators turned off), at the end of each session in the rooms that they have used and that the building is locked and all other lights are off if they are the last to depart. A weekly list is published on the notice board and provides information about which rooms are in use at any particular time.

b)    The full cost of any damage. Notification of any damage or non-functioning of equipment to the Booking Officer.

c)    Nominating a fire officer whose responsibilities are to include ensuring that the emergency lights are on, fire doors closed and fire exits clear. The fire officer must be aware of the location and use of fire equipment, the evacuation procedures and the location of the nearest telephone. The fire warning system control panel is located next to the lighting switches in the corridor. The main door must be kept unlocked.

d)    Ensuring no undue noise or nuisance to our neighbours; the Hall is situated in a residential area.

e)    Tidying up after use and ensuring that all chairs and tables are stacked correctly in the racks provided and moved into the Meeting Room. The floor should be swept so as to be left in the condition you would wish to find it; should you arrive and find a mess please inform us immediately and, if known, the previous users. The kitchen should be left in a clean and tidy state with crockery returned to the cupboards. The toilets should be clear of paper towels etc. and have been flushed. Any cleaning or other costs incurred as a result of failure to do this will be invoiced.

f)      The removal of all rubbish, (e.g. food and milk cartons, tea bags etc.) from the buildings. (Ribble Valley Council does not remove rubbish from the Village Hall.) Food and drinks must not be left in the refrigerator; anything left will be disposed of.

g)    Not allowing unnecessary notices to be pinned to the notice boards. The left-hand notice board is for WVH official paperwork. The right-hand notice board can be used by hirers to publicize one-off events or significant changes to their times or activities. Space being at a premium we must limit users to one notice, the size of which should not exceed A5, (15x21cm, 6”x8”). Any notices referring to non-Village Hall events, commercial or otherwise, will be removed. Announcements to be displayed on the outside notice boards should be given to one of our officers; the same conditions apply.

h)    Ensuring that Hall users or their students/clients needing to park in front of the Village Hall do so in a considerate fashion, (to pedestrians and other vehicles), and display a note in their vehicle(s) indicating which group they are attending.  

 

4) WiFi

 

a)    Wifi is available to all Hall Users. It has been decided initially not to charge for this service, but by requesting a wireless pin (password) Users agree to the following terms and conditions.

b)   Users will only disclose said wireless pin to those members of their group who need to access the internet for the purposes of the group, never to third parties. Such users and group members agree never to indulge in inappropriate use, e.g. the sending or posting of offensive messages or downloading, uploading or accessing pornographic images.

c)      In an attempt to minimize abuse the wireless pin will be changed at approximate monthly intervals. The new wireless pin will be sent to all current wifi users who are in credit, i.e. who have paid all outstanding invoices by the 25th of the last billed month. You will not need to change the wireless pin until the previous connection ceases to work. With laptops it might be necessary to disconnect and re-connect using the new wireless pin, Tablets and smart phones will probably require you to ‘forget’ our wifi and re-login using the new wireless pin.

d)    Should you become aware of inappropriate use, by a member of your group or anyone else, you must immediately inform the secretary by telephone or email.

e)    We have been advised by the tv licencing authority that, as Whalley Village Hall does not have a tv licence, “it is (still) a criminal offence for anyone to plug in and watch or record programmes on (y)our premises at the same time as they are shown on TV, using any device (including laptops and mobiles).”