Booking Conditions | Soberton Village Hall

General Conditions of Hire

Bookings – All hall bookings must be made through the Bookings Secretary. Bookings are only be confirmed on receipt of a confirmation slip from the Bookings Secretary. The Hall is not available for booking after midnight.
Payment – Payment for bookings must be made no later than 14 days prior to the function. Cheques should be made payable to Soberton Village Hall Fund. A booking deposit of half the total charge is made to private hirers. This is not normally returnable if the booking is cancelled. Any preparation time, excluding bar deliveries, is chargeable.
Hall Keys – The hirer is responsible for arranging, with the Bookings Secretary, for the collection of Hall key(s) and for returning them at the end of the hiring.
The Hirer – He/she is responsible, during the period of hiring, for supervision of the premises, care of the contents and safety from damage, and the behaviour of all persons using the premises. This includes proper supervision of car parking arrangements so as to avoid obstruction of the highways. A responsible adult must be present at all functions, particularly when liquor is served to ensure Conditions of Hire are met.
Smoking is prohibited throughout the hall premises.
Fire and Safety Procedures – The Hirer must sign to confirm that they have read and understood the fire evacuation procedures for the hall. Any electrical appliances provided by the Hirer must display an in-date PAT Certificate.
Accidents – In the event of an accident, the details must be recorded in the Accident Report Folder (located in the kitchen) and the Bookings Secretary must be advised by telephone within 24 hours.
Heating and cooking are by electricity – Background heating is provided inclusive in the hiring charge. Additional heating can be obtained by the use of coin meters located as follows:
Main Hall heaters (£1 and £2 coins) - In disabled toilet
Kitchen, and foyer heaters (£1 coins) - In disabled toilet
Blake’s Room heating (£1 coins) - In Blake’s Room
Cree Room heating (£1 and £2 coins) In Cree Room
Facilities – Hiring fees include use of tables, chairs, crockery and all kitchen appliances. Additional tables are stowed beneath the stage.
Dogs – They are not allowed in the hall unless they are registered assistance dogs.
Food and drink – The Hirer shall, if preparing, serving or selling food observe all relevant food health and hygiene legislation and regulations. Hirers must apply for their own Temporary Event Notice for the sale of alcohol. An additional £30 will be charged if a bar is requested.
Fireworks - The use of indoor or outdoor fireworks is not allowed.
Chairs - The blue fabric-covered chairs must not be used outdoors or in any manner likely to cause damage to the fabric or the chair e.g. standing on them.
When large numbers of chairs are used by the hirer, especially when setting up for a seated audience, it is the responsibility of the hirer to adhere to the SVH Committee’s guidelines for chair layout & to use the connectors provided to link chairs when 4 or more are placed in a row.
These guidelines are available from the Booking Secretary at the time of booking.
Damage – Breakages andor damage, including to the fabric of the hall, must be reported and will be charged for. Any additional cleaning required as a result of a hiring will be charged for.
On Completion of the hiring – The Hirer is responsible for leaving the premises and surrounds in a clean and tidy condition.
a) Close all internal doors, turn off heaters and cooker, switch off and unplug all electrical appliances except fridge & freezer. Ensure all exit doors and windows are properly secured and locked, and all lights and taps are turned off.
b) Refuse must be put in the wheelie bins outside the Hall. These are emptied fortnightly. Rubbish outside them is not collected and must be removed by the Hirer. Please take home any recyclable rubbish, such as bottles and paper.
c) Chairs and tables should be returned to the storeroom and stacked as per the displayed instructions.
Miscellaneous:-
a) Any organisation or person using the Hall for commercial purposes is not covered by the Hall’s Public Liability Insurance. Use by any non-profit making organisation or person shall not be regarded as use for commercial purposes.
b) All bookings are subject to the Committee’s approval and the Committee reserves the right to cancel a hiring.
c) Hirers are requested not to unwind stage curtains without using the winch and to use only the foyer notice board for displaying notices or posters.
d) Fixtures and fittings must not be removed.
e) If ladders/stepladders are used, ensure that they will not slip, and that one adult stands at the bottom to provide stability and support. Never use a ladder/stepladder by yourself. Always ensure that you have assistance. Users of ladders must take full responsibility for their own safety. Use of ladders/step-ladders owned by the hall is undertaken at your own risk. Although our ladders/step ladders are believed to be safe, we cannot guarantee their safety.

Payments

Payment must be made not later than fourteen days before the function.
Cheques should be made payable to SOBERTON VILLAGE HALL FUND
A booking deposit of half the total charge is made to private hirers.
A surcharge will be made if the hall is left in a dirty condition.
Damage to hall decoration will be charged.

Additional Special Conditions

Public Functions

The hall is licensed for use for public entertainment and for the performance of occasional stage plays. In this connection, the following special conditions apply.

The Hirer, or nominated representative of the hiring organisation, is to be on the premises, in charge, when the public are present and is responsible for ensuring that all conditions of hire and supervision are met. The name of the nominee is to be reported to the Bookings Secretary.
Attendants – When the Hall is in use for public entertainment of any kind there must be three adults (over 21) present, in addition to the hirer, who know the action to be taken in the event of fire or other emergency. The aim being to avoid panic and to ensure orderly evacuation of the Hall.
Opening Hours – No entertainment or performance may take place on a Sunday, Christmas Day, or Good Friday and no extension beyond midnight can be granted.

Private Functions

The following special condition applies for all private functions involving music or dancing.

A £200.00 Damage Deposit must be received in advance for all private functions. This is returnable after a successful hiring. All or part of the £200.00 will be retained after hiring if any of the following issues arise:
a) complaints are received from member(s) of the community against the private function requiring compensation e.g. noise; litter; damage to 3rd party property or person; traffic congestion; disorderly behaviour
b) the hall is left in an untidy or dirty condition
c) refuse is not appropriately disposed of
d) any conditions of hire are broken.
The Soberton Village Hall Management Committee will in its absolute discretion judge how much of the £200 will be retained should these conditions not be met.
The decision of the Soberton Village Hall Management Committee will be final.
The Soberton Village Hall Management Committee shall not be held responsible for loss of or damage caused to any persons or property on the premises.