Church Hall Booking Form and Conditions of Hire

CHURCH HALL

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF HIRE

1  Hirers are expected to make themselves familiar with the ‘Fire safety arrangements’, which are outlined below.

2  Fire exits must be kept clear at all times. The fire door onto the street must only be used in an emergency. It must be kept shut at all other times as it could pose a danger to passing pedestrians.

3  As the hall is thatched, there is a strict no smoking, fireworks or candles (except on birthday cakes) policy.

4  Decorations may not be tied to the wall lights. There are projecting screws in the wall that can be used.

5  The maximum number of persons allowed in the hall is 125 standing or 100 seated.

6  Sale of alcoholic drinks is not allowed.

7  Adults must be present and be responsible for children at all times. They must ensure that children are protected, taking all reasonable steps to prevent injury or harm.

8  Stiletto heels must not be worn as they may damage the softwood flooring.

9  Chairs and tables must not be dragged across the floor – a trolley is provided to move stacks of chairs. If the piano is used, it must be returned to the end bay of the hall.

10  Noise must be kept below nuisance levels.

11  If using the dishwasher, the hirer should appoint someone to read the instructions and be in charge of it.

12  The area upstairs is not included in the hire and must not be used.

13  Hirers are requested to comply with the ‘Working at Height Code of Practice’, which is displayed on the kitchen noticeboard.

After your event

14  All rooms must be in a clean and tidy state before the hall is vacated.

15  Folding tables must be returned to the storeroom, and the chairs stacked at the end of the hall. Cleaning equipment must be returned to the store cupboard.

16  All the lights, the hot water switch, the cooker and the hot cupboard must be switched off at the end of your hire period.

17  All rubbish must be taken away from the hall at the end of your hire. Black bin bags are kept under the sink for this purpose.

18  All windows must be closed, latched and shuttered, and all internal doors should be closed and external doors locked at the end of the hire period.

19  Evening hirers must ensure that the hall is vacated by 11pm weekdays and 6pm on Sundays.

20  The hirer is responsible for damage or loss to the Hall or its contents during the period of hire.

21  The keys should be returned immediately after the end of the hire period.

Please note, the PCC cannot be held responsible for damage or injury that occurs arising out of the activity for which they have booked the hall. It is the responsibility of the hirer to ensure that the premises are safe for the purposes for which they intend to use them. As such, hirers should check that public liability is provided under their own insurance.

Fire safety arrangements

Please appoint one person from your party to be the fire warden.

The fire warden needs to:

·  Identify the three fire doors onto the road and point them out to all your attendees. (The key to open the exit door from the committee room is in a red glass-fronted box on that door.) If you are using the garden area, ensure that the door at the top of the ramp is unlocked, to permit escape from the garden via the committee room. This is the exit from the garden.

·  Unlock the middle emergency fire door.

·  Ensure the doors from the hall to the committee room are unhooked so that people can evacuate through them if necessary.

·  If you are using the hall during the evening, please ensure the torch (kept in the kitchen) is placed by the middle emergency fire door.

If you need to evacuate the building because of a fire, the fire warden needs to:

·  Ring 999.

·  Help to evacuate the hall, ensuring disabled people are taken care of.

·  Check no one is in the toilets or any other rooms in the hall.

·  If possible, close all windows and doors to slow down the spread of smoke.

Assembly point

Please assemble under the tree by the entrance path to the church.

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Mary’s Iffley is a Registered Charity Number 1128523