David Sweet Hall
The Small Hall
The Primary Room
The Lounge
1. a) All applications for the hire of all or any part of the premises of East Croydon United Reformed Church (hereinafter called “the premises”) must be made to the East Croydon United Reformed Church (hereinafter called “the Church” via the Lettings Secretary.
b) All applications must be in writing or initiated by other means, e.g. telephone or e-mail. Such applications shall be: –
i) state clearly the date and time of the event booked and the period of time needed before and after the event for preparation and clearing up.
ii) state clearly the full name and address and telephone number of the person booking, and where appropriate, the full name of the organisation or company or partnership which the prospective hirer represents, it being understood that the prospective hirer and the organisation represented are fully liable for all the responsibilities undertaken by the prospective hirer.
iii) all references to “hirer” in these conditions shall be deemed to mean the person initiating the booking and the organisation that the person initiating the booking represents.
iv) A booking form / invoice will be sent to all applicants but completed by the Lettings Secretary from the above information.
2 Fees payable for the hiring of the premises shall be in accordance with the scale of charges laid down by the Church. The scale of fees is reviewed annually but the Church reserves the right to alter the scale of charges at any time during the year. Charges are payable not later than seven days before the event. Post-dated cheques are not acceptable. Receipts will be issued if required but the request must be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope.[/pane][pane title=”Restrictions on Use”]
3. Copyright: no copyright work shall be performed without the licence where appropriate of the owner of the copyright, and the hirer shall, if requested, produce such licence to the Lettings Secretary not less than seven days before the commencement of the engagement to which that licence relates. The hirer shall indemnify the United Reformed Church against any infringement of copyright that may occur during the hiring.
4. Programme of entertainment: the hirer shall, if required, supply to the Lettings Secretary for approval, a copy of the programme of any entertainment to be given by the hirer not less than seven days before the presentation of such entertainment.
5. Smoking on the premises is strictly prohibited.
6. Drugs: no illegal drugs or substances or legal highs shall be sold, used or supplied in or on the premises, the same being hereby absolutely prohibited.
7. Food and wine: no excisable liquor shall be brought onto, consumed or sold in or on the premises, the same being hereby absolutely prohibited. No food or beverages whatsoever shall be cooked or prepared in the premises without the consent of the Lettings Secretary.
8. Animals: except with the consent of the Lettings Secretary no animals may be permitted on the premises during the hiring other than guide dogs for people with visual or hearing disabilities
9. Inflammable materials: on no account shall highly inflammable materials be used for decoration or other purposes in or on the premises.
10. Business activity: business activity is not permitted except with the express permission of the Lettings Secretary, which will not be granted without production of adequate insurance coverage.
11. Sub-letting: the hirer shall not sub-let hired premises or any part thereof, the same being absolutely prohibited. Should the hirer do so or attempt to do so the hiring will stand cancelled and the charges paid forfeited and the hirer and sub-hirer excluded from the accommodation.[/pane][pane title=”Resposibilities of the Hirer”]
12. Hirers working with, or providing services for, children and vulnerable adults must ensure that all workers aged 18 or over, whether paid or voluntary, have an up to date Disclosure and Barring Service check.
13. The hirer shall take good care of and not cause any damage or permit or suffer any damage to be done to the Church or any part of the Church premises or to any fittings, equipment or other property and shall make good and pay for any damage (including accidental damage) caused by any act or negligence by reason of the use of the premises by the hirer, or any person or organisation invited or permitted to enter the premises by the said hirer.
14. The hirer, as noted in the preceding paragraph (13), is responsible for any damage to the premises and other property therein, and is therefore advised to obtain validated insurance coverage. The hirer may in certain circumstances be responsible for damage or injury to its own personnel. The hirer is advised to read the attached notice “Church Insurance”, but in the case of any hirer engaging in physical activity the hirer is advised to obtain validated insurance coverage of that activity. The hirer is responsible for carrying out risk assessments as appropriate.
15. The hirer shall be responsible for ensuring:
a) the efficient supervision of the premises including the effective control of children and to observe all statutory requirements in respect of the responsibility for supervision of children.
b) the orderly and safe admission and departure of persons to and from the premises in case of emergency.
c) the safety of the premises and the preservation of good order and decency therein.
d) that no singing or the playing of musical instruments or the use of any amplification equipment takes place at the premises in such a manner as to cause nuisance or annoyance to other users of the premises or any adjoining neighbours and in any event shall not take place after 10pm.
e) that all health, safety and hygiene requirements are met in respect of the use of the premises in general, and kitchen facilities in particular. A copy of the church guidelines is displayed on the wall of the kitchen attached to the David Sweet Hall and in the Flower Room.
16. The hirer shall at the end of the period of hiring leave the premises in a clean and orderly state and all items of furniture must be returned to their former positions. The hirer must observe scrupulously all requirements of the Church cleaner or Lettings Secretary.
17. To comply with the Council’s re-cycling regulations, the hirer must remove all paper, cardboard, tins, and bottles etc. from the premises and dispose of them at the appropriate re-cycling centres. Failure to remove items will result in an additional charge.
18. The hirer must not use additional lights or extensions from the existing light fittings at the premises without the prior consent of the Lettings Secretary.
19. The hirer must at all times comply with the requirements of fire precaution notices displayed on the premises and in no circumstances shall any hirer permit more than the specified capacity of the halls and rooms to be exceeded.
If the hirer fails to comply with any one, or more, of the above stipulations the Church may cancel any other engagement for the premises that the hirer may have made without incurring any liability to the hirer whatsoever.[/pane][pane title=”Resposibility of the Church”]
20 a) Under no circumstances will the Church make good or accept responsibility or liability in respect of any damage or theft or loss of any property, goods, articles or things whatsoever placed, deposited, brought into or left upon the premises by reason of the use of the premises by the hirer. Where any hirer, by arrangement with the Lettings Secretary, leaves any property on the premises for use in future events, the responsibility for that property rests not with the Church but with the hirer. A suitable charge may be made for storage.
b) The Church accepts no responsibility for any death or injury cause to any person during the period of hire and whilst such person(s) is / are acting under the direction of the hirer.
c) The Church shall not be liable for any loss as a result of the happening of any event howsoever caused which, in the sole discretion of the Church, renders the premises unfit for use or which may cause the premises to be closed or the hiring to be interrupted or cancelled.
21. Cancellation: if the hirer shall cancel the hiring of the premises for either one or more engagements then the Church shall be entitled to retain the whole of the fee paid in respect of such cancelled engagement or engagements provided always that if notice of the cancellation of any engagement is received by the Lettings Secretary at least seven days prior to the date on which such engagement would otherwise have taken place then the Church my at its discretion repay to the hirer an amount not exceeding fifty per cent of the total fee paid in respect of such cancelled engagement.
22. Complaints: any complaint arising out of the hiring must be made in writing to the Lettings Secretary within three days of the occasion of such complaint.
23. Notices: any notice, demand or request by the Church to or upon the hirer may be sent by ordinary pre-paid post addressed to the hirer at the hirer’s address given in the application form and shall be deemed to be made or served at the time when the letter containing the same would be delivered in the ordinary course of post.
24. Right of Entry by the Church: the church reserves the right of entry to the premises at any time during the hiring.[/pane][pane title=”Vacating Premises”]
25. The hirer shall ensure that the premises are cleared and vacated by 10pm. If a later finishing time is required, permission must be obtained from the Lettings Secretary. This will only be granted in special circumstances.[/pane][pane title=”Car Parking”]
26. Limited car parking space is available for evening and Saturday meetings – solely by arrangement with the Lettings Secretary and based on the size of room hired.
27. Car parking spaces cannot normally be guaranteed, but the church will make every effort to accommodate disabled visitors where this is made known in advance. A request for this should be made to the Lettings Secretary as far in advance of the event as possible.
28. All car users must observe the one way system in the car park and all painted signs.[/pane][/accordion]