| Cowden Village Hall |
| Hire terms and conditions of use |
| Any person, company, organization or group hiring the Hall will be deemed to have agreed to these conditions which form part of the hire agreement. Those booking online are required to confirm that they have read and accepted these terms by checking the box. The booking will not be confirmed without agreement. Where bookings are by email, you will need to confirm that you have read and accepted these terms before your booking will be confirmed. A PDF copy of these terms will be sent to you when you make your enquiry: Status of the Hall Cowden Village Hall (the Hall) was conveyed to the Trustees of Cowden Village Hall on 12 March 1956. By a Trust Deed dated 16 June 1959 the premises are to be held by the Trustees in trust for the purposes of a village hall for the use of the inhabitants of Cowden and neighbourhood without distinction of sex or political religious or other opinions. The Hall is managed by the Trustees and management committees which report to them. Cowden Village Hall (sometimes referred to as Cowden Memorial Hall) is registered with the Charities Commission under charity number 286856. The Trustees and committees are referred to in the document as the Management Committee. Hiring fee The hire fees are published online at www.cowdenvillagehall.com and are subject to change by the Trustees. Cost of letting is reviewed annually and prices charged will be those in force at the time of the hire regardless of when the booking was made. However, at the discretion of the Management Committee, pre-payment of bookings will secure the rate in force at the time of booking. Unless the whole of the Hall is hired, the Hire fee covers sole use of the room booked and shared use of the other facilities with the hirer of the other room. For sole use of all facilities, the Hirer must hire the whole premises. Use of the kitchen Please note that use of the kitchen may be shared, unless the Hirer has hired the whole premises. Hirers of the main hall and the club room share use of the facilities. Children below the age of 12 are not permitted in the kitchen area. Car parking The Hall has a car park for use by Hirers. Please bear in mind that you may not be the only hirer. Parking of vehicles is at the owner’s/ driver’s risk. The Management Committee accepts no liability for damage or loss howsoever caused. As use of the car park is also granted to those using the recreation ground and the sports facilities, the Management Committee cannot guarantee hirers sole use of the car park. Where Hirers hire the whole premises for a period in excess of 5 hours, the Management Committee will use best endeavours to ensure local residents vacate the car park. Deposit and damage to the Hall The Hirer is responsible for any damage or loss to the Hall during the hire period, and for the Hall being left in a reasonably clean condition. If the Hall is left in an unsatisfactory state, or if there is loss or damage, the Hirer shall reimburse the cost of repair of any damage to the building or its contents, incluiding any additional costs for cleaning. It is the responsibility of the Hirer to report any damage discovered to the Management Committee at the start of the hire period. Failure to do so means the hirer may be held responsible for the damage. This can be done by calling the bookings clerk on 07354 084833 A minimum £100 deposit may be required from Hall hirers (at the discretion of the booking clerk) depending on the length of the booking and the type of use of the Hall. A deposit of £200 is always required for weddings. Provided that the Hall is left in a clean and lettable condition, the deposit will be returned after the premises have been checked by the Management Committee. The Hirer shall forfeit the booking deposit and in extreme cases any additional costs for cleaning, repairs, loss or replacement may be levied on the Hirer. Cancelation policy Your booking will not be guaranteed until you have paid the hire fee. Cancellations received will be refunded in whole or part provided they are received within a reasonable time to allow re-hire, as follows: 100% refund for cancellations received 28 days or more prior to the booking date 75% refund for cancellations received 15 to 27 days prior to the booking date 50% refund for cancellations received 8 to 14 days prior to the booking date There will be no refund for any booking cancellenation within 7 days of the booking date Health, Safety and Fire The Hirer is deemed to be, or must nominate, a competent person to take charge in case of Fire. That person must make him / herself familiar with the Village Hall’s Fire and Evacuation Procedure, ensure that it is followed in the event of a fire or other emergency and that all persons at the Hall can escape unimpeded through the Fire Exits to assemble in the designated assembly area, which is the large grassed area on the opposite side of the road from the main hall entrance. Improper operation of the extinguishers will result in the automatic loss of the deposit. Fire Doors MUST remain unobstructed during a hire period. Copies of the Fire and Evacuation Procedure are in the kitchen. The Hirer should familiarise themselves with these on arrival at the Hall. First Aid Equipment is provided in the kitchen area. Any accidents must be reported using the Accident Book kept in the First Aid Box in the kitchen. Accidents should be reported to the Secretary or a member of the Management Committee. There is no public telephone in the Hall or the village and Hirers are strongly advised to have a mobile telephone available for emergency use. All electrical equipment brought into the premises by the Hirer must have the minimum recommended electronic testing (i.e. PAT tested). Children below the age of 12 must be supervised and are not permitted in the kitchen area. The number of persons on the premises at any time must not exceed a seated capacity of 185, or 112 for dances etc. The maximum number of people in the club room is 50. Leaving the Hall Before leaving the hall, tables must be wiped over and returned to their storage trolleys. Chairs should be stacked in piles of no more than 8. Tables and chairs should be returned to the storeroom (unless the main Hall is hired to another Hirer and returning them would cause a disturbance to that Hirer). All belongings, including any rubbish must be taken away by the Hirer. Any equipment used must be returned to its proper storage space after use. Please ensure that the central heating is switched to auto and that lights are switched off and all doors and windows are securely closed when you lock up the Hall. The hall is situated in a residential area; therefore we ask that users are considerate and keep noise levels to a minimum when leaving the premises particularly after 10pm. Obligations of the hirer The Hirer must ensure that all regulations laid down in these terms and by the Licensing Authority, Fire Authority and the Management Committee are obeyed. The Hirer must not sub-let or use the premises for any unlawful purpose nor endanger the premises or its users. Alcohol The Hall is licensed for the consumption of alcohol, but not for the sale of it. If alcohol is to be sold at your event, it is the responsibility of the Hirer to have the necessary Temporary Event Notice (TEN) for the sale of alcohol in the Hall. The TEN will normally be obtained by the Personal licensee. The Hirer must provide a copy of the TEN to the Management Committee, by email to bookings@cowdenvillagehall.com, prior to the period of hire. The hall is situated in a residential area; therefore we ask that users are considerate and keep noise levels to a minimum. Any form of music must be kept to an acceptable level. Users should also be considerate when leaving the hall. Entertainment, playing of recorded music and/or film The Hall is licensed for public dancing, music, public displays, contests and exhibitions of sports and other similar types of entertainment, from 12.00 until 23.59. Public entertainment must not be held outside these times. The Hall is not licensed for public cinematograph exhibition, but organisations or individuals may show films to invited audiences of members and friends, provided no charge is made for admission. Musical Copyright: Hirers for events at which copyright music is performed in public shall be responsible for obtaining a licence from the Performing Rights Society. The Hirer of any event where a licence fee is payable for the public performance of recorded music (e.g. records, tapes, cassettes, CDs or downloads etc.) shall be responsible for obtaining the necessary licence from Phonographic Performance Ltd. Betting, Gaming and Lotteries: Nothing shall be done on or in relation to the premises in contravention of the law relating to betting, gaming and lotteries, and the Hirer shall be responsible for seeing that the requirements of the relevant legislation are strictly observed. Insurance The Hirer is responsible for any insurance cover his or her function or activity may require e.g. use of a bouncy castle, exercise class or similar. (Cowden Village Hall is only insured against any claims arising from negligence of the Management Committee.) Use of images and collection of data By making a booking of the Hall, you consent to the use of photographs and video footage taken during your event being used by the Management Committee for promotional purposes including but not limited to social media platforms, our website, and printed advertising features and / or leaflets. If you or your guests do not wish to be included in such material, please advise the Management Committee in writing, prior to your hire period. The Management Committee will store the Hirer’s booking details in our bookings system for administrative and marketing purposes. We will not share your details with any third parties, except as required by law. Rights of the Management Committee The Management Committee endeavours to provide a Hall that is clean and tidy for all users. To do this, the terms set out above must be adhered to by all who use the Hall. Any Hirer who does not abide by them may be penalised by the loss of all or part of their deposit or by extra charges being levied for cleaning or tidying of the Hall. The Management Committee reserves the right to change these terms at any time at their discretion. The Management Committee reserves the right to refuse hire to any person or organisation. |