Conditions of Hire & Fire Safety Information

If the hirer is in any doubt as to the meaning of the following Conditions of Hire, they should consult with a representative of the Hall Management Committee. The term 'hirer' includes any person involved in the negotiation of the hire; the adult or adults in charge of, or with any supervisory capacity over an event at the Hall; and any person with a position of implied or actual authority within any organisation hiring the Hall.

The term 'Hall' refers to Colehill Village Hall and includes any and every part of the premises, including the car park, gardens, fence and gates and including all fittings, fixtures, fabric and contents.

1. The hirer will, during the period of hiring, be responsible for the supervision of the Hall premises, the fabric and the contents, their care, safety from damage however slight or change of any sort, the behaviour of all persons using the premises whatever their capacity including proper supervision of car parking.

2. The hirer shall not sub-let or use the Hall for any unlawful purpose or in any unlawful way or do anything to bring on to the Hall premises anything which may endanger the same or any insurance policies in respect thereof.

3. The hirer shall be responsible for obtaining any, and all required licences and permissions including, but not limited to, those required for the consumption of liquor; those required for and by the Performing Rights Society (see prsformusic.com) and Public Performance Limited (see www.ppluk.com). The hirer is responsible for the observance of the conditions of any licence or permission and of all other regulations appertaining to the premises stipulated by the Fire Authority, the Local Authority, the local Magistrates Court or otherwise

4. The hirer shall indemnify the Management Committee for the costs of repairs of any damage done to any part of the Hall during, or as a result of the hiring

5. If the hirer wishes to cancel the booking before the date of the event and the Management Committee does not conclude a replacement booking, the question of the payment shall be at the discretion of the Management Committee.

6. At the end of the hiring the hirer shall be responsible for leaving the Hall in a clean and tidy condition and for ensuring that any contents removed from their usual positions are properly replaced, otherwise the Management Committee shall be at liberty to make an additional charge.

7. An additional Security Deposit of £100.00 may be payable by the hirer, to be held by the Management Committee towards the cost of any damage or breakages or other liability of the hirer under these conditions. Such sum shall be refundable so far as it does not actually have to be applied towards the cost of any such damage, breakage, etc. or towards the cost of additional cleaning required directly, or indirectly as a result of the hire.

8. The Management Committee cannot be held responsible for the theft or loss or damage to any property brought on to or left on the premises.

9. The Management Committee shall not be liable for any loss due to any breakdown of machinery, failure of supply of electricity, failure or leakage of water, or fire, which may cause the premises to be temporarily closed or the hiring to be interrupted, postponed or cancelled

10. The hirer shall be responsible for ensuring that the Hall is suitable for the desired and actual use and carrying out an appropriate risk assessment in relation to the desired or actual use.

11. The hirer shall be liable for and shall indemnify the Management Committee in respect of any loss, damage or injury which may be incurred by or be done or happen to the hirer, or any person or persons in his employ or any of his sub-contractors, or by or to any persons or persons on the premises by reason of the use of the premises by the hirer.

12. The Management Committee will not knowingly permit the Hall to be used for One Day Sales', where the public have no opportunity to examine or inspect goods prior to purchase. The hirer intending to use the Hall for a Sale undertakes that the Sales will be conducted by a salesperson dealing on a one-to-one basis with customers. ('Auction' type sales with a salesperson presenting to an audience and accepting purchase offers will not be allowed). The hirer also undertakes to ensure that the name and address of the person responsible for the Sale will be clearly displayed in the Hall

13. TV & Film. The Hall has no television licence and therefore hirers should ensure no television streaming takes place. Children should be restricted from viewing age-restricted films classified according to the recommendations of the British Board of Film Classification. Hirers should ensure that they have the appropriate copyright licences for film.

14. The maximum number of persons in the Hall is limited to one hundred and ninety-five (195)

15. The Fire and Safety information, as shown below, are to be considered as part of the Conditions of Hire. These may be amended from time to time.

16. The representative hiring the Hall and the adult in charge at the event for which the Hall is hired must ensure that the Fire, Safety and Evacuation information is read, understood and complied with.

17. The hirer, will be responsible for ensuring that any supplier of soft toy equipment including but not limited to a ‘Bouncy Castle’ and/or any supplier of sporting activity (including the use of sports equipment), games or similar, used during the hire of the hall is fully insured to cover any loss, damage or injury which may be incurred by or be done or happen to the hirer, or by any person or persons in his employ or his sub-contractors, or by or to any persons on the premises by reason of the use of the premises by the hirer.

18. Access is permitted at the stated hire times only. A surcharge will be incurred for failing to vacate the Hall at the end of the hire period.

19. Smoking, including the use of e-cigarettes, is not permitted in any part of the Hall or its premises including the car park and grounds.

20. When using the kitchen or preparing or serving food and drink the hirer is to ensure that current food hygiene and kitchen safety regulations and good practice are followed. Such advice is available from:

Food Standards Agency (Tel. 020 7276 8829 Monday to Friday 9.30-16.00,

Email: helpline@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk,

Website: http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/caterers/sfbb/sfbbcaterers

Storage, preparation, serving and consumption of food and beverages is limited to the Kitchen, Main Hall and Committee Room only, and is not permitted in the Storeroom, Cloakroom or any other part of the premises. Children are not permitted in the kitchen at any time.

21. Only general 'household' type waste may be placed in the waste bins and wheelie bin. This specifically excludes clothes, textiles, oils, fats, chemicals, electronic equipment, and dangerous substances.

22. Hirers are not to bring on to the premises or store flammable or dangerous substances, including in any store cupboards belonging to or used by the hirer.

23. All electrical equipment, including cables and extension leads, speakers, amplifiers, audio equipment, lighting, projectors, computers, etc. that the hirer or user brings on the premises must show evidence of having been PAT tested (Portable Appliance Testing) within the previous twelve months and that the condition of the equipment should not have deteriorated since the PAT test. The test will include, but may not be limited to, any item that has a mains voltage plug attached to it.

24. Any hirer conducting an activity involving children or vulnerable adults must comply with any relevant legislation and recommendations relating to child and vulnerable person protection, including, where appropriate, DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks (formerly CRB checks).

25. Any item on the Hall premises that is not owned by the Hall is not covered by the Hall insurance policies. Hirers and users are advised to ensure that all their possessions are suitably insured. Additionally, hirers are advised to take out suitable public liability insurance, sufficient cover all eventualities

26. All Hall users are not permitted to use equipment belonging to others and stored in the Hall, or to use equipment other than that included in the normal hire of the Hall (e.g. chairs and tables)

27. A quantity of salt has been placed in the boiler room, so that in icy conditions a safe path may be created between the gate and the Hall main door only. It is not intended that other areas of the car park should be salted and users are advised that under these conditions those attending should park in the road. It is the responsibility of the hirer to ensure a safe access as described above and compliance with highway regulations.

28. On departure all hirers should please ensure;

a) The hirer or adult in charge at a Hall event is to make themselves familiar with the safety equipment, escape routes, evacuation points and assembly point. They must ensure that there are sufficient other responsible persons conversant with these items to effect safe management, evacuation and assembly in the event of an incident. The number of other responsible persons must take account the assistance and management that may be required by vulnerable persons such as the disabled, the elderly and children

b) At the commencement of any function attendees who may not be familiar with the premises must be informed of the location of the exit and emergency exits and assembly point. It should be related that exiting the building is not possible through the storeroom or cloakroom

c) It is recommended that at least one adult attending an event be familiar with the use of fire extinguishers

d) Candles and naked lights are not permitted

e) Glitter is not permitted in the Hall

f) Regular Hall users are to conduct fire, evacuation and assembly drills at suitable intervals

g) Directly exiting the building from the kitchen or committee room is via a normally locked door. Operation of the thumb bolt on the inside of the door allows it to be opened. However, if the kitchen or committee room is used extensively or exclusively then the user should unlock the appropriate door for the period of hire, ensuring that it is re-secured at the end of the hire

h) When more than fifty chairs are arranged in a 'theatre style' (i.e. The chairs are next to each other in rows, without tables) it is recommended, in line with the recommendations of BS 5588-6.1991, that they should be linked together in lengths of not fewer than four seats, so that they will not separate nor 'snake, merely by pushing one or more seats in a row. The red upholstered chairs and the red plastic chairs are fitted with linkages. The remaining (white) chairs may be linked by using the clips provided, in the manner described (see notice in the storeroom)

i)It is the responsibility of the hirer to ensure that there is adequate First Aid cover for their event.

j) There is no public telephone at the Hall. It is therefore recommended that the person in charge should have access to a functioning mobile phone or other satisfactory means of communicating with the Emergency Services.