Terms & Conditions of Hire

When you agree to hire the Hall you are also agreeing to the following:

  1. To look after the Hall and return it as you found it (secured, unaltered, and undamaged).
  2. To use it only for the purpose you declared on the hiring application and above
  3. To follow the Hall Rental Instructions (further down)
    • To comply with all legal obligations associated with your event – This may include:All licensing requirements, including alcohol use, entertainment, copyright, food and hygiene, betting and gaming.
    • Compliance with any legal requirements for the appropriate supervision of children
    • Any relevant fair-trading legislation
    • Any noise and public nuisance restrictions
    • Any other restrictions (eg Fire Authority, Local Authority, Magistrates court)
  4. To take full responsibility and liability for your actions and those of your visitors. The hall holds Public Liability and Buildings insurance. You may wish to consider additional insurance
  5.  To secure your property whilst at the Hall. Loss and theft of contents is your responsibility.
  6. To remove your property after the hire agreement has expired. After a week, it will be deemed unwanted and be removed or disposed of appropriately
  7. To allow a Hall committee member to enter the Hall at any time
  8. To pay for any breakage or damage to the Hall and forfeit a deposit (if stipulated)

FIRLE VILLAGE HALL – RENTERS GUIDE

Thank you for hiring the Hall. This guide will help you to make the most of our facilities.

LOCAL RESIDENTS

  • The hall is in the centre of the village so please be considerate of the residents near the Hall and avoid making noise in The Street after 10pm
  • Finishing Time: music stops 11.30 and vacated by 12 midnight Fri and Sat, and 11pm weekdays and Sundays so as not to disturb neighbours.
  • Leave the Hall quietly by 12.00 am latest Fri and Sats, and 11 pm weekdays and Sundays (unless by prior arrangement with the Bookings Administrator)

PARKING
The Hall is in the middle of the village. So please do not park in front of the Hall except for drop off if needed. This space is used as a ‘passing point’ for any traffic going through the Village. Please park in the Visitors Car Park (signposted left just before the pub), or up by the War Memorial (past the shop) to allow residents to park in the Street. Please advise anyone attending or providing a service for your event of this parking requirement

SECURITY

  • The front door key is kept in a combination coded cabinet outside the main entrance. The Bookings Administrator will have given you the key code when you confirmed your booking. This code is changed regularly.
  • Some societies have their own locked cupboards inside the Hall. Please do not try and open these cupboards.
  • Before you leave, please check that the rear patio door and fire door to the garden are closed and locked. Switch off all heating and all wall sockets. Lock the main entrance, return the key to its cabinet and scramble the numbers.

LEGAL

  • Please comply with all legal obligations associated with your event. This may include:
  • All licensing requirements, including alcohol use, entertainment, copyright, food and hygiene, betting and gaming.
  • Compliance with any legal requirements for the appropriate supervision of children
  • Any relevant fair-trading legislation
  • Any noise and public nuisance restrictions
  • Any other restrictions (eg Fire Authority, Local Authority, Magistrates court)

HEATING

The Hall has three electric central heating systems. Please help us to keep running costs down by following the guidelines below:

Main Hall:

The Primary heating is by ‘Air-Sourced Heat Pumps’ and blows warm air into the hall from two overhead units. This is a very efficient system and works really well if the outdoor temperature is above ‘freezing’. It takes about 20 minutes to get the Hall warm, so come early if need be.

The control panel is situated next to the garden fire exit. Simply press the ‘on’ button on the panel, and leave alone. Please do not increase the thermostat setting of 22deg – the Hall will not heat up any faster!! Press the button again to switch off the main heating.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SYSTEM TAKES UP TO 10 MINS TO START BLOWING HOT AIR. Resist the temptation to fiddle with the control system as you may inadvertently disable it.

The Secondary heating system uses the radiators down one side of the Hall. This is a wet electric system and is expensive to run. It is only really necessary to boost the main system when the outside temperature goes below ‘freezing’. The control is situated opposite the Primary main system control. Press the ‘Boost’ button once for 1 hour, twice for 2 hours, etc. A max of 4 hours is available. The system will switch off after the selected time has elapsed.

Kitchen, Hall and Upstairs room:

This is a wet electric system with radiators in all areas. The controls are in the corridor in the main lobby area before the toilets. Press the ‘Boost’ button once for 1 hour, twice for 2 hours, etc. A max of 4 hours is available. The system will switch off after the selected time has elapsed.

LIGHTING
Main hall lighting has two systems and the switch is to the right of the hall internal entrance door:

  • Soft ‘up’ lighting
  • Overhead strip which are dimmable by the PRESS switch

ACCESSIBILITY

  • There is a wheelchair ramp behind the main door into the hall
  • There is an accessible toilet 

HOT WATER

Kitchen
The Kitchen sink hot water from taps is ‘instantaneous’. Ensure the wall switch to the left of the sink is ‘on’. The water will run hot within a few seconds. Slower the water comes out of the tap, the warmer it will be. Please turn off before leaving.

Hot water boiler (for making drinks) – Is to the left of the sink tops itself up and delivers near boiling water from its tap. Switch on at wall switch behind. Water takes about 10 minutes to heat up. Please turn off before leaving.

Toilet Warm water in the toilets is supplied by an ‘immersion’ system. A Boost button (next to the corridor central heating button) in located in the entrance corridor. Press the ‘Boost’ button once for 1 hour, twice for 2 hours, etc. A max of 4 hours is available. It takes about 30 minutes to warm up the tank. The system will switch off after the selected time has elapsed.

APPLIANCES: 

Dishwasher
Turn on at wall and wait for it to heat up. It is a catering dishwasher (3 minute cycle) at either 120 or 180 degrees. It dries as well – the more it’s used the hotter it gets for drying. It takes wash and rinse liquids from a unit under the sink automatically.

Please scrape food off plates before putting in dishwasher – it gets clogged very easily
VERY IMPORTANT When finished please remove strainer unit (plastic trays), close and run with dial turned to ‘Drain’. If you don’t do this the dishwasher will fill up with more water next time its used and overflow! It should be empty of water and left open to air before you leave.

Fridge
There is a tall fridge freezer next to the door to the storeroom. If you use it, please take everything out  when you leave. Please DO NOT TURN OFF.

There is an additional smaller fridge in the main kitchen area between the drawers and cupboard. This needs to be switched on at the wall by the microwave and kettles.
Please empty and turn off before leaving.

Cooker 
Is a ceramic hob unit, the manual for the cooker is in the high cupboard to the right of the sink.

HALL EQUIPMENT
There are trestle tables, chairs ,crockery and cutlery in the hall – hirers are welcome to use them if they are not being used elsewhere, but these are not a formal part of the hire and are of limited number, so you may prefer to hire your own to make sure you have what you need. Please note only the plastic blue chairs may be taken out of the hall into patio.

DECORATIONS
Please do not stick anything on the plaster walls. That includes posters and all party decorations. There is a wooden strip in the main hall that can be used to pin or white tack temporary decorations. These must be removed at the end of your hire – thanks

RUBBISH
Please take all rubbish/recycling away with you as the Hall has no rubbish collection facility.
Anything left over 1 bag of rubbish will incur a removal charge of £20 from the deposit.

CLEANING
Please leave the hall as you found it. Cleaning equipment is situated under the kitchen sink and in store room which is unlocked and behind the kitchen. If the hall is not left in a suitable condition you may incur additional cleaning charges of £15 per hour (min £30). If you would like the Hall cleaner to clean for you please contact the Bookings Administrator to arrange.

ANIMALS
Animals (excluding registered Guide Dogs) are not allowed in the Main Hall or Kitchen.

HEALTH AND SAFETY
Please familiarise yourselves with the fire safety systems and exit routes:

  • As a public building, the Hall is designated as NON-SMOKING. Addicts can smoke in the courtyard. Please do not leave butts around.
  • Candles/night lights are allowed provided they are supervised at all times. Fireworks are not permitted in the Hall or the courtyard area.
  • You can exit the building in case of fire from the main entrance, the Kitchen Patio doors, the side fire door, and the front doors on the main Hall.
  • There is a fire blanket located to the left of the kitchen sinks.
  • There is a First Aid box in a Kitchen cupboard marked ‘First Aid’.
  • There are Fire Extinguishers located in the Kitchen and the Store room.
  • The Fire alarm points are in the Lobby, by the ‘garden’ fire door, and in the Kitchen.
  • If you move the tables and chairs please be careful stacking and moving – you do so at your own risk.
  • Do not obstruct the main entrance or the fire door to the garden.
  • If you need to work at height (eg put up decorations) please ask Bookings Secretary to arrange for a Committee member/caretaker to use the hall commercial ladder. If you do not use the hall ladder you work at height at your own risk.
  • Any electrical equipment you bring to the hall is used at your own risk and should be checked.
  • Keep all internal ‘fire doors’, closed. These are marked with blue signs.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE GARDEN AREA BEYOND THE COURTYARD IS OUT OF BOUNDS.
Please do not let children climb the walls. Fire Alarm: If you hear the alarm, leave the building immediately. If you are sure it is a false alarm, you can reset the alarm by following the instructions posted on the wall next to the main entrance.

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