St Augustine's Church Centre Terms of Use

Terms of Use
The ‘Conditions of Hire’ detailed here apply to all Hirers. The term ‘Hirer’ shall be deemed to apply to an individual Hirer or, in the case of an Organisation, the Authorised Representative of that Organisation.

The Hirer of the Hall is subject to completion of a Hiring Agreement in every case, and these conditions form part of the Hiring Agreement and are to be read in conjunction with it.

The terms ‘Hall’ and ‘Premises’ are deemed to include the St Augustine's Hall Building and the St Augustine's Hall Car Park.

The Hirer is responsible for compliance with these ‘Conditions of Hire’ at all times during the period of hire by all persons occupying the premises.

The Hirer is legally responsible for breaches of the Hiring Agreement or ‘Conditions of Hire’ and is strongly advised to insure against any claim by the Hall Committee arising out of the hire.

1. Use of the Premises: The Hirer shall only use the Hall premises prescribed in the Hiring Agreement and only for the purposes prescribed therein. The Hirer shall not sub-hire. The Hirer shall not permit the premises to be used for any unlawful purposes. The Hirer is to comply with all legal licensing, security, safety and insurance requirements. 

2. Supervision: The Hirer is responsible for the Hall’s fabric and contents, and the conduct, care and safety of all persons in the Hall. Written confirmation of CRB checks will be required for regular hirers with groups under the age of 18. Supervision requirements are a minimum of

0 – 2 years – one adult to three children,
2 – 3 years – one adult to four children,
4 – 8 years – one adult to six children,
9 – 12 years – one adult to eight children,
13 – 18 years – one adult to ten children.

3. Safety – Health – Hygiene: The Hirer is to brief staff, members and guests (as applicable), on the safety procedures to be observed whilst in the Hall. In particular, detailed Fire Safety Precautions are to be briefed, including the method of raising the Fire Alarm, the location and use of fire fighting equipment, the position and operation of emergency fire exits, and the Emergency Assembly Point outside the Hall.

The Hirer is to ensure that all Fire Exits are kept unlocked, with access routes clear of obstructions, at all times. Designated Fire Doors are to be kept closed at all times.
The Hirer is to ensure that personal electrical equipment used on the premises is in good working order, operated in the prescribed manner, and any safety devices included thereon are utilised.
Highly Inflammable substances are not to be brought onto the premises, the use of portable Liquefied Propane Gas appliances, or any naked light, is prohibited.
When Kitchen use is included in the Hiring Agreement the Hirer is to comply with all relevant Health and Hygiene regulations applicable to the preparation and serving of food.

a) Smoke Alarms: These are positioned in seven positions throughout the building. Please familiarise yourself with the plan of the Centre to be found on the notice board in the front lobby opposite the front door. It shows the fire escapes and assembly points outside. Please appoint one person to keep a head count of persons using the building during your event. This person will be responsible for evacuating the building and dialling 999 in the event of a fire. Do not re-enter the building until authorised by the Fire Service.

b) CO2 Detector:This is situated near the cupboard in the men's toilets. If this alarm is activated please complete the procedure as above until testing and repair is carried out.

c) Smoking:This is not permitted anywhere in the building or within the boundaries of the Church Centre. Thank you

4. Licenses: The main and small halls combined are licensed to hold a maximum of 200 people, and the Small Hall on its own a maximum of 30.
The Church Centre is not licensed for the sale of Alcohol.
The Church Centre is not licensed under the Gaming, Betting and Lotteries Act.

5. Accidents and Damages: The Hirer is to report any accident involving injury to the person and any damage to the Hall fabric or its contents or to any equipment brought onto the premises. Accidents are to be logged in the Accident Log Book in the First Aid Box located in the kitchen. A verbal report on all accidents and damages is to be made to the Booking Secretary as soon as possible, followed by a written report within 48 hours of the occurrence. The Hirer shall indemnify the Hall Committee for the costs arising out of any accident on, or damage to, the premises during the period of hire, and is responsible for insuring against any claims arising, including those from third parties.

6. Kitchen:  Instructions and information about appliances can be found in the loose leaf file which is on top of the microwave. Broom, mop and bucket for kitchen use only are in the kitchen in the tall cupboard. Please advise at time of booking if and how many shelves / freezer compartments are required in the fridge freezer. We will try to accommodate this.

Cooker:  Please see specific instructions in the file with reference to the use of the automatic oven especially if there has been a power cut.

Dishwasher: Please follow the instructions on the wall behind the sinks. The power switch for the dishwasher is on the wall behind the microwave.<

Hot cupboard: The main switch is on the wall by the small hatch and on the side of the unit. To change the temperature press and hold the top left button on the display and simultaneously press the up or down arrow to change the temperature in the cupboard.

7. Heating: In the Main and Small Hall the heating is thermostatically controlled. The heating in the Green Lounge is controlled by an independent programmer which is situated on the wall opposite the large window. If the heating requires adjustment hold either the up or down button until the display flashes and then press the appropriate button to reset the temperature.

8. Tidiness and Cleanliness: It is a strict condition of hire that, at the end of the period of hire, the Hirer shall leave the premises in a clean and tidy state.

Tables:There are 3 different size tables available for your use. They are situated on the left as you go through the double doors of the main hall. Please clean all tables used and return them to the main hall storage area after use.

Floors: Please leave all floors clean and wipe up any spills with a wet cloth found under the sink in the cupboard in the front lobby. Broom, dustpan and bucket and mop for general use are in the cupboard in the front lobby. If the floor needs washing ONLY use washing up liquid and water.
All items of equipment brought onto the premises, including stage props, are to be removed.
The kitchen is to be left clean and tidy and crockery and utensils cleaned, dried and stored away.

Rubbish & Waste: Hirers are requested to remove all such items as the centre has limited recycling and waste disposal facilities.

Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the Hirer’s Special Deposit being forfeited or additional charges for any cleaning required.

ALL FOOD WASTE AND LEFTOVER FOOD MUST BE TAKEN AWAY ON COMPLETION OF HIRE

9. Access and Egress: The Booking Secretary will advise the Hirer on the access of the Hall’s keys before the event and their return at the end of the period of hire. Before securing the hall at the end of the period of hire, the Hirer is to ensure all exit doors (including emergency exits) are secured, all electrical appliances are turned off (in particular kitchen appliances) and all lights are extinguished.

10. Car Parking: There are 2 car parks available for your use one adjacent to the centre and the main church car park on the left immediately after the church. Please also refer to the hire regulations regarding parking.

11. Lost Property: The Hall Committee accepts no responsibility for any property lost or stolen from the premises. The Booking Secretary may be contacted post-hire to ascertain whether any lost property has been found.

12. Consideration towards Others: The Hall is in a residential area with private dwellings nearby. Excessive noise, arising from the event in the Hall, or extraneous noise in the car park and surrounding area, cause adverse comments and bad relations with local residents. Please ensure such disturbances are minimised, particularly at the end of a late evening hiring period when participants disperse.

13. Cancellation: A casual hirer may cancel the Hall booking up to one calendar month prior to the hire period set out in the Hiring Agreement without financial penalty. After that date, the Hiring Fees are non-refundable. The Hall Committee may cancel the hiring, without penalty or consequential liability, in the event of the Hall becoming unfit for use for any reason, or if it is required for use as a  Community Emergency Shelter. In such an event, any deposit, hiring fee, or special deposit paid by the Hirer shall be refunded.

14. Hall Insurance: The Hall Committee is insured against third-party claims for negligence arising from a Hiring Contract.