Terms and Conditions

Community Centre Booking Procedures and Conditions of Hire

General Rules Governing the Use of Clayton Community Centre

1. Use of centre

Use of the community centre and its facilities is subject to the following rules and, in the case of hirers, to the conditions incorporated in the hiring agreement.

2. Equal opportunities

Users of the community centre must comply with the Equality Act 2010. They must ensure that the community centre is open to all members of the community regardless of sex, sexual orientation, nationality, age, disability, race, or of political, religious or other opinions.

3. Applying to use the centre

Application for use of the centre shall be made to the Secretary

The right to refuse any application for the use of centre facilities is reserved to the Management Committee or the Lettings Officer, provided that the Lettings Officer reports their action to the next meeting of the Management Committee. The Management Committee may refuse an application to use the centre’s facilities. In any circumstance of doubt, the Secretary shall report the matter to the Chairman and shall not confirm the letting without the agreement of the Chairman.

The Management Committee reserves the right to request such additional information as it deems necessary and to make enquiries of external bodies as to the standing of any organisation before agreeing letting.

All arrangements for the use of centre facilities are subject to the Committee reserving the right to cancel bookings when the premises are required for use as a Polling Station or are otherwise rendered unfit for the intended use.

4. Hours of opening

Facilities at the community centre are normally available for the use between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11 pm on weekdays[i] and Saturdays and 10 a.m. and 11 p.m. on Sundays.

The latest opening hours are available on the website.

5. Maximum capacity

The centre hall has a maximum capacity of 100 persons (these figures include helpers and performers) and on no account shall these figures be exceeded.

6. Safety requirements

All conditions attached to the granting of the centre’s Premises Licence or other licences shall be strictly observed. Nothing shall be done which will endanger the users of the building or invalidate the policies of insurance relating to it and to its contents. In particular:

• obstructions must not be placed in gangways or exits, nor in front of emergency exits, which must be immediately available for free public egress;

• all groups are expected to co-operate in the fire drills which may be arranged at varying times in order to familiarise users with evacuation procedures;

• the emergency lighting supply must be turned on during the whole time the premises are occupied and must illuminate all exit signs and routes;

• fire fighting apparatus shall be kept in its proper place and only used for its intended purpose;

• the Fire Service shall be called to any outbreak of fire, however slight, and details of the occurrence shall be given to the management committee and the Council;

• permission for performances involving danger to the public shall not be given;

• highly flammable substances shall not be brought into or used in any part of the premises. No internal decorations of a combustible nature (such as polystyrene, cotton, etc.) shall be erected;

• no additional heating appliances shall be used on the premises;

• the First Aid box shall be readily available to all users of the premises. It is located in the kitchen and must be returned after use. The Secretary must be informed of any accident or injury occurring on the premises and the first aid book completed;

• all electrical equipment brought into the building shall comply with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and any subsequent legislation.

7. Supervision

7.1 Regular Hirers:

The hirer or person in charge of an activity shall not be under 18 years of age and shall be on the premises for the entire period of hire or duration of the activity. She/he shall not be engaged in any duties which prevent them from exercising general supervision.

7.2 Function Hire:

When the premises or any part of them are used for the purpose of public entertainment involving use of the bar facilities the supervision of the facilities will be the responsibility of the designated bar supervisor.

7.3 Casual Hire:

When the premises or any part of them are used for the purpose of public entertainment which does not include use of the bar facilities the supervision of the facilities will be the responsibility of the hirer.

For activities involving children the hirer must ensure that adequate responsible adults (parents or guardians) are in attendance to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the children

7.4 Juvenile (Young Persons) Events

Sufficient competent adults must be in attendance at all times and will be responsible for the behaviour of young persons and juveniles attending the centre.

For juvenile parties held during evening times the main entrance door must be controlled by a responsible adult for the period during which the hall is occupied. Juveniles should remain within the building other than when arriving or leaving.

Personal bags must be left in the entrance foyer under the supervision of the competent adult and not taken into the hall.

All persons in charge or on duty shall have been informed of the procedure for evacuation of the premises.

8. Safety of vulnerable people

Regulated activities involving either children or vulnerable adults will not be permitted on the premises except with the written agreement of the Management Committee, which will require that the relevant provisions of the Children Act 1989 and subsequent legislation, the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, the Home Office Code of Practice Safe from Harm and any conditions required by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) or by the local Social Services Department (as appropriate) are complied with before giving such permission.

All organisers of activities (involving children and/or vulnerable adults) should comply with the recommendations of Community Matters technical guidance on ‘Safeguarding Children and Young People’, and ‘Safeguarding: The Disclosure and Barring Service’ and the Management Committee reserves the right to exclude from the premises any organisation that fails to comply with this requirement. In the case of affiliated groups or outside hirers, it is the responsibility of the organisers of the activities concerned to ensure compliance with these requirements, so that only fit and proper persons have access to young children and/or vulnerable adults and that such persons shall at all times be in attendance upon children and/or vulnerable adults who are on the premises for the activities concerned.

9. Supply of food and drink

9.1 Private Hire:

The Community Centre provides the facilities for the preparation and serving of food and drink by hirers.

The general rules on display in the kitchen should be adhered to when preparing or serving food, drink and refreshments.

The Hirer is solely responsible for the preparation and serving of food and drink at private hire events. The Committee accept no responsibility for the safety of food or drink brought onto or prepared for consumption at private hire events.

9.2 Community Centre Events:

Only persons who have satisfactorily undertaken any relevant training required by the Council’s Environmental Health Department, and otherwise satisfied the requirements of current legislation, shall be permitted to handle food on the premises. Such persons at all times shall observe the Code of Conduct displayed in the kitchen.

10. Intoxicating liquor

No intoxicating liquors are permitted to be bought, sold or consumed on any part of the premises without the express permission in writing of the Management Committee, whose consent must also be obtained prior to seeking any relevant permission and/or to issue any Temporary Event Notice for the sale of alcoholic liquor (see also 13 below).

11. Storage

The permission of the Management Committee must be obtained before goods or equipment are left or stored at the community centre, except that the Lettings Officer is authorised to grant permission for the overnight storage of goods and equipment brought to the centre for a particular function or event.

12. Loss of property

The Committee cannot accept responsibility for damage to, or the loss or theft of, centre users’ property and effects.

13. Car parking

Cars shall not be parked so as to cause an obstruction at the entrance to, or exits from, the centre. Where parking accommodation is provided and available, this must be used and in any case users of the centre should avoid undue noise on arrival and departure.

The Committee cannot accept responsibility for damage to, or the loss or theft of, centre users’ property and effects, theft of vehicles and possessions.

14. Nuisance

Litter shall not be left in or about the centre premises.

Except in the case of trained guide dogs for the blind, dogs shall only be permitted on the centre premises in connection with organised activities such as dog training or dog shows.

Hirers and organisers of events in the community centre are responsible for ensuring that the noise level of their functions is not to cause inconvenience for the occupiers of nearby houses and property.

15. Cleaning and security

All use of centre premises and facilities is subject to the users accepting responsibility for returning furniture and equipment to their original position and for securing doors and windows of the premises as directed by the Secretary. All users shall also leave the premises and surroundings in a clean and tidy condition, as may be directed by the Secretary

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR REGULAR HIRE

Fire Safety

In the event of a fire the hirer will be responsible for the evacuation of the building.

The hirer should ensure that they are familiar with the location and operation of the fire escapes.

The Evacuation Point is the grass area at the bottom of Car park.

The Fire Service must be summoned by telephone. There is no public telephone in the Community Centre - ensure a mobile phone is available

Accidents

All accidents involving personal injury must be reported to the Secretary at the earliest opportunity.

Section 1. Hire Charges

1. The hirer shall pay the hourly rate for each hour they utilise the facilities as agreed with the secretary. Rates will be reviewed annually and may be subject to change.

2. Any amount due will be paid monthly in arrears by cash, cheque, direct bank deposit or online as agreed with the secretary.

3. The tariffs may be subject to discount under circumstances deemed suitable by the committee. Application for discount must be made in writing and accompany the hire form.

Section 2. Security

4. The hirer will be responsible for the behaviour of all persons attending the Centre at the time of hiring.

5. The hirer will be responsible for the security of the building during an event and for ensuring the building is secured before leaving, unless otherwise agreed with the secretary.

Section 3. Loan of Keys to Regular Users

6. Regular users of the Centre may be issued with keys for which a deposit may be required. In the event that the keys are lost the deposit will be forfeit or payment required for replacements.

7. The person to whom the keys are issued is responsible for the security of keys, ensuring the keys are only used during the times allocated for bookings and not passed to any person not connected with that booking.

8. Regular users may also be notified of the alarm system security code .The code must not be passed on to any individual without the consent of the secretary.

9. The committee reserve the right to withdraw this facility from any person or group who may fail to discharge their responsibilities appropriately. On request keys must be returned to the committee.

Section 4. Damages

10. The hirer will be responsible for any damages caused to the Centre or its fixtures, fittings and equipment by persons attending during the period of hire.

11. All damages must be promptly reported to the secretary.

12. The hirer will be liable for payment for repairs or replacement arising from any unacceptable damage.

Section 5. Cleaning

13. In all cases kitchen equipment, crockery and cutlery used must be washed, dried and returned to the store cupboards.

14. The fridge and freezer must be cleared of food and liquids.

16. All areas in and around the centre must be left clean and tidy (as found), including toilets and entrance hall.

16. Tables must be wiped down and chairs stacked (maximum 10 per stack) before being returned to the place of storage.

17. Kitchen sides must be wiped down and the sink cleaned.

18. The main hall floor must be brushed and all debris removed. Spills should be removed using a damp mop.

19. All rubbish collected and deposited in the waste bin to the front of the centre.

Section 6. Storage / use of equipment

20. Community and other groups may store a reasonable amount of equipment in the centre with the agreement of the secretary and must comply with any arrangements agreed.

21. Equipment is stored at the owners risk and must be suitably insured. The Management Committee will not be responsible for any damage or loss arising during storage or use of equipment within the centre.

22. All electrical equipment brought into the centre for use must be subject to a valid annual PAT test.

Section 7. Insurance

23. Private Groups using the community centre must provide evidence of £5m Public Liability insurance for the activities which they expect to undertake.

Section 8. General

24. Clayton Community Centre is an enclosed public space and as such it is against the law for any persons to smoke in the confines of the building including the entrance porch.

25. Clayton Community Centre is a licensed premises and as such must comply with current licensing laws. In consequence no alcoholic beverages are to be brought onto the premises for consumption (other than a toast) without the permission of the bar manager.

26. No one under the age of 18 years is to consume alcohol (other than a toast) on the premises.

27. Sufficient competent adults must be in attendance at all times and will be responsible for the behaviour of young persons and juveniles attending the centre.

Your Contact: Will be the booking secretary details of which can be found on the notice board and via email upon booking

TERMS AND CONDITION OF HIRE FOR FUNCTIONS AND CASUAL HIRE

Fire Safety for events which do not have bar staff or committee members present:

In the event of a fire the hirer will be responsible for the evacuation of the building.

The hirer should ensure that they are familiar with the location and operation of the fire escapes.

The Evacuation Point is the grass area at the bottom of Car park.

The Fire Service must be summoned by telephone.

Section 1. Hire Charges

1. The required deposit must be paid before a booking will be accepted.

2. Any balance due must be paid at the latest on the date of the hiring.

3. The tariffs shown on the booking form may be subject to discount under circumstances deemed suitable by the committee. Application for discount must be made in writing and accompany the hire form.

4. In the event of a cancellation any deposit paid may be forfeited or returned at the discretion of the committee.

5. Where a deposit is to be forfeit the committee will inform the hirer of the reasons in writing. The decision of the committee in this matter is final.

Section 2. Security

6. The hirer will be responsible for the behaviour of all persons attending the Centre at the time of hiring.

7. The hirer will be responsible for the security of the building during an event and for ensuring the building is secured before leaving, unless otherwise agreed with the secretary.

8. Following evening functions the bar staff will undertake to secure the building.

9. Loaned keys must be returned by the end of a function or otherwise by agreement.

Section 3. Damages

10. The hirer will be responsible for any unreasonable damages caused to the Centre or its fixtures, fittings and equipment by persons attending during the period of hire.

11. All damages must be reported to the bar staff or on returning the keys.

12. The hirer will be liable for additional payment for repairs or replacement arising from any unacceptable damage.

Section 4. Setting Up

13. It is the responsibility of the hirer to set up the room including placement of tables and chairs.

14. Tables and chairs must be positioned in accordance with the guidance given by the secretary ensuring free and clear access to entrances and Fire Exits.

15. Posters, notices and balloons may be attached to the boards on the walls using blue tack or clear tape. Pins must not be used.

Section 5. Cleaning

16. In all cases kitchen equipment, crockery and cutlery used must be washed, dried and returned to the store cupboards.

17. The fridge and freezer must be cleared of food and liquids.

18. Banners, posters, balloons and other such items must be removed from walls etc.

19. Tables should be cleared and all rubbish placed in bin bags for disposal.

20. The kitchen sides must be cleared of all food, crockery, utensils and storage items. These may be left overnight for collection the following morning by arrangement with the secretary.

21. The cleaning fee will apply to ALL functions requiring use of the bar facilities.

22. For hourly charged groups or functions where the cleaning fee has NOT been paid the following must be observed:

All areas in and around the centre must be left clean and tidy (as found), including toilets and entrance hall.
Tables must be wiped down and chairs stacked (by same colour /size maximum 10 per stack) before being returned to the place of storage.
Kitchen sides must be wiped down and the sink cleaned.
All equipment not belonging to the centre must be removed.
All floors must be swept and all rubbish collected and deposited by the waste bins outside the centre.

Section 6. Storage / use of equipment

23. Equipment is stored or used at the owners risk and must be suitably insured. The Management Committee will not be responsible for any damage or loss arising during storage or use of equipment within the centre.

Section 7. External Entertainers

24. External entertainers engaged by the hirer must provide evidence of Public Liability Insurance (£2million) to the secretary prior to the event.

25. All electrical equipment used by entertainers must be subject to a valid PAT test.

Section 8. Legal Requirements

26. Clayton Community Centre is an enclosed public space and as such it is against the law for any persons to smoke in the confines of the building including the entrance porch. Any persons found smoking on the premises will be asked to leave.

26. The designated smoking area’s are to the front left of the main entrance and the rear patio area.

27. Clayton Community Centre is a licensed premises and as such must comply with current licensing laws. In consequence no alcoholic beverages are to be brought onto the premises for consumption (other than a toast which must be with the permission of the premises licence holder).

28. Persons found to be consuming alcoholic beverages not purchased from the bar or unauthorised by the licensee may be asked to leave. All such alcohol will be confiscated.

29. No one under the age of 18 years is to consume alcohol (other than a toast) on the premises.

30. Persons found supplying anyone under the age of 18 with alcohol will be asked to leave.

31. No one under the age of 18 is allowed to attempt to purchase alcohol from the bar.

32. The bar staff will refuse to serve alcohol to anyone who appears to be under 25 years old where written proof of age can not be supplied.

33. Proof of age must be a legal document containing a photograph e.g. driving licence, passport.

34. The use of illegal drugs on or around the premises will not be tolerated. Where illegal drug use is suspected the Police will be notified.

34. All music or entertainment must be ended by 12.00 midnight Monday to Saturday and 11.00 pm Sunday.

36. The bar staff reserve the right to close the bar and clear the building in the event of serious disorder, drug taking, persistent disregard of the no smoking laws or persistent attempts by adults or juveniles to break the licensing laws.

Section 9 Additional Terms and Conditions of Hire for Juvenile (Young Persons) Events

Due to the difficulties in managing the licensing laws and control within and around the centre we will not take bookings for parties for young persons between the ages of 16 and 20 inclusive.

37. Sufficient competent adults must be in attendance at all times and will be responsible for the behaviour of young persons and juveniles attending the centre.

38. For juvenile parties held during evening times the main entrance door must be controlled by a responsible adult for the period during which the hall is occupied. Juveniles should remain within the building other than when arriving or leaving. This is to minimise disruption to our neighbours.

39. Personal bags must be left in the entrance foyer under the supervision of the competent adult and not taken into the hall.

40, Alcohol must not be brought into or consumed on the premises during juvenile parties.

Your Contact: Will be the booking secretary details of which can be found on the notice board and via email upon booking