Hall booking conditions of hire
General
1. All lettings shall be subject to these conditions.
2. The letting agreement is not transferable, and the hirer shall not sub-let any part of the premises.
Booking
3. The hirer must be at least 18 years old.
4. Bookings cannot be accepted from political parties, nor for teenage parties.
5. The purpose of the booking shall not conflict with the values and objectives of Trinity Church. Trinity Church reserves the right to determine any letting or refuse an application for hire and no compensation will be paid if any termination arises except the refund of letting fees. If the letting is for worship, we only accept bookings from churches who are members of the World Council of Churches or Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.
6. A security deposit of up to £200 may be required, payable 3 weeks before the date of hire.
7. The hire charges are as advertised on the Trinity Church Sutton website.
8. 50% of the hire charge is payable at the time of booking and the balance is payable by 3 weeks before the date of hire. Payments for regular bookings may be paid monthly if required, but are payable in advance of the dates of hire.
9. Any booking more than 4 months ahead shall be regarded as provisional.
10. Hirers for regular bookings shall ensure Trinity Church receives written or email notification of any dates when they do not require a letting at least 1 month in advance.
11. The kitchen must be booked separately if required for food preparation or cooking. It may be requested at no additional charge if needed only for making hot drinks. The hirer shall not use the crockery or utensils in the kitchen unless specific arrangements are made. Hiring of the kitchen does not imply exclusive use.
12. Booking of Trinity Hall does not include use of the stage area or the stage curtains or the sound facilities unless explicitly agreed. Hirers shall ensure that no one climbs on to the stage or operates the curtains.
13. Anyone who hires part of the premises on more than four occasions in any one year shall take out public liability insurance with a reputable insurance office giving minimum cover of £1,000,000 for any one claim, or such higher sum as Trinity Church may from time to time specify, and shall produce proof of such insurance to Trinity upon request. The hirer shall indemnify Trinity Church against costs claims actions and expenses in respect of injury, loss and damage except those that arise directly from the negligence of Trinity Church.
14. The hirer may cancel the booking by written notice, preferably to the church email address, and such cancellation is only effective once a written confirmation has been returned by Trinity Church. No verbal cancellations or other variations can be accepted. If the hirer cancels the booking Trinity Church reserves the right to apply a charge of 10% of the cost of the letting, or 100% of the cost of the letting if the cancellation is less than one month before the letting date.
Before the letting
15. The caretaker will prepare the hall for use and to his best endeavours ensure that the hall has adequate lighting and heating and make furniture and other equipment available. The caretaker is not authorized to undertake any other duties in connection with the letting.
16. The hall is only available to the hirer for the hours booked (which must include any time required for preparation and clearing up) and must be vacated by the end of the agreed period of let. If the hirer is late leaving the premises, Trinity Church may apply a late leaving charge at double the standard hire rate.
17. Other than where agreed for regular bookings, no letting shall take effect without receipt of the letting charges and deposit by the church treasurer. Payment may be by bank transfer or cheque. Cash payments are not accepted.
During the letting
18. The hirer shall be responsible for familiarizing himself/herself and their invitees with the fire precautions and fire escape routes.
19. In case of fire the hirer is responsible for ensuring the safe evacuation of their party using the nearest usable signposted fire exit. The assembly point is Trinity Square outside Waterstones and Wilkinsons. Although fire extinguishers are available it is recommended that evacuation is conducted first and no attempt is made to put out the fire unless you have been trained in the use of fire extinguishers.
20. First aid equipment is kept in a box in a drawer suitably marked within the kitchen. A defibrillator or AED, for use if someone has stopped breathing, is available on the wall at the top of the stairs. Please notify Trinity Church if these facilities are used.
21. There is no provision for parking by the hirer on the Trinity church site. However the driveway up the side of the suite of halls can be used for off-loading and on-loading only provided the vehicle is not left on the driveway throughout the letting or for more than the time required to carry out such action. Any vehicle must be moved/removed as requested by the caretaker or other church official. Any cars left on the driveway and not moved/removed after unloading/loading will incur a charge of £25 per vehicle.
22. No decorations or extra lighting shall be installed unless previously approved by the hall letting secretary.
23. No attachments whatsoever shall be made to any part of the premises. This includes notices and decorations which must not be attached with sticky tape or Bluetack or any other fixing agent to any paintwork.
24. No copyright work shall be performed in the premises without the consent of the copyright holder.
25. No alcoholic beverages shall be brought onto or consumed on the premises.
26. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the Trinity Church buildings, halls or grounds.
27. The premises may not be used for immoral or indecent purposes. The decision of Trinity Church in the event of a dispute is final.
28. Any gambling shall be limited to small lotteries or raffles or “roll-a-penny” or “guess-the-weight-of-the-cake” type games at fund-raising functions, usually for donated prizes, and subject to the following rules:
a) The only expenses that can be deducted in connection with lottery prizes are those of printing tickets, and of purchasing prizes
b) The sum expended on prizes must not exceed £50
c) None of the prizes may be cash prizes
d) The sale of tickets or chances in the lottery and the announcement of the results must take place during the course of the event (thus it is not permitted to sell tickets door to door)
e) The lottery must not be a substantial inducement for persons to attend the event.
29. The use of gaming machines is not permitted.
30. Tap dancing requires prior approval from the letting secretary.
31. The hirer shall ensure that their use of the hall does not interfere with the enjoyment of the premises by other users of the premises.
32. Trinity Church is a "Fairtrade" church and regular users of the halls are asked to conform to the Fairtrade principles available at www.fairtrade.org.uk/
33. Trinity Church or their representative shall have the right to be admitted to the hall at any time.
34. The hirer shall provide adequate supervision on the premises during the letting. In particular the hirer shall provide supervision at all times of children and those adults whose need for assistance or protection because of illness, disability or old age means that they may be unable to ensure their own safety and protection and who are on the premises in connection with the letting wherever they may be on the premises.
35. Regular hirers are required to have a Safeguarding Policy which is to be made available to their clients and to Trinity Church, and to follow the safeguarding advice in this leaflet. Other hirers are required to follow the safeguarding advice outlined in this leaflet. Any safeguarding issue occurring on Trinity Church premises shall be notified urgently to Trinity Church.
36. By the end of the letting period the hirer shall clean any obvious litter, mess or dirt and if using the kitchen shall clean the kitchen thoroughly. Brushes and brooms are available in the cupboard under the stairs. Furniture is to be returned to its original position unless otherwise agreed.
37. By the end of each letting period the hirer shall remove from the halls and precincts all rubbish and items brought onto the premises and all debris resulting from catering arrangements or other activities associated with the letting.
38. Lost property shall be handed to the caretaker for safe keeping.
39. The hirer is responsible for:-
a) the conduct of all persons admitted into the hall during the period of let;
b) damage to the hall arising directly or indirectly from the let, and the resulting costs of replacement or reinstatement;
c) the results of any drunkenness or disorderly conduct;
d) the cost of Police services made necessary by the letting; and
e) consequential losses arising from the above.
40. The hirer is responsible for any costs incurred by the church as a result of the hirer’s non-compliance with these Conditions of Hire and for any parking charges or late leaving charges incurred.
41. If the hirer fails to observe these Conditions of Hire (e.g. by leaving the halls in a damaged or dirty state, or leaving excess rubbish on the premises) then Trinity Church will recover its costs or parking charges or late leaving charges by deducting them from the security deposit or by invoicing the hirer.
42. Any security deposit will be returned after the letting, less any costs or charges.
43. Trinity Church does not accept any liability for any claims, however arising, that result from damage to any property brought into or left in the premises, or for injuries sustained by the hirer or persons admitted to the hall during the period of let, save when such injuries are directly caused by the negligence of Trinity Church.
(Revised 31 August 2019)
A pdf version can be downloaded here.