Smisby Village Hall is a community facility owned by the community and operated on its behalf by a group of Trustees in line with the Trust Deed. Our objective is in accordance with the Trust Deed, which includes that it should benefit the inhabitants of Smisby. The maximum occupancy of the hall is 120 people.
The Hall may be booked during the following hours:
Monday to Thursday - 7:00am to 10.00pm
Friday - 7:00am to 11.00pm
Saturday - 8.00am to 11.00pm
Sunday - 8.00am to 10.00pm
Entertainment:
Entertainment is only allowed until 9.30pm Sunday to Thursday and 10.30pm Friday to Saturday. The exception is New Year’s Eve when it is allowed until 12:30am.
Hire Rates - Up to and including 31st August 2023
Rates for private use by Parishioners of the Parish of Smisby (including WI and Parish Council):
One hour – £12.00
Up to 2.5 hours £15.00
½ day (4 hours) £30.00
Full day (8 hours) £45
Rates for all other hirers:
One hour £15.00
Up to 2.5 hours £33.00
½ day (4 hours) £50.00
Full day (8 hours) £75.00
Hire Rates - From 1st September 2023
Rates for private use by Parishioners of the Parish of Smisby (including WI and Parish Council):
One hour – £14.00
Up to 2.5 hours - £18.00
½ day (4 hours) - £35.00
Full day (8 hours) - £50.00
Rates for all other hirers:
One hour - £15.00
Up to 2.5 hours - £35.00
½ day (4 hours) - £55.00
Full day (8 hours) - £80.00
Damage Deposit:
A damage deposit is required and will be returned after the event, subject to a satisfactory inspection by the bookings clerk. The hire charge and damage deposit must both be paid at the time of booking.
The damage deposit for daytime hire is £40.00
The damage deposit required for evening hire is £100.00
PLEASE NOTE: We cannot confirm your booking until your hire charge and damage deposit have both been paid. Please let our bookings clerk know once you have made payment.
Notes:
1. The specified rates cover use of the Hall, garden, kitchen and lavatories, consumables (excluding tea, coffee and any items belonging to other users). Tea towels are not provided.
2. For regular club Hirers, limited storage may be made available in the common storage room at the side of the main hall at the discretion of the Trustees. A small annual fee may be charged for this facility, depending on the equipment being stored. Abuse of this privilege may lead to its withdrawal from clubs or, additional charges being imposed.
3. Bookings cancelled within 28 days of the event will forfeit 50% of the hiring fee. Bookings cancelled within 14 days of the event will forfeit 100% of the hiring fee unless, in both cases, the hall is relet.
4. The Hire Period must include setup and clear-up times. The premises should not be accessed more than 10 minutes before the agreed hire period and should be vacated not more than 10 minutes after the agreed hire period. For evening parties, a clean-up period on the following morning may be booked providing the hall is not already booked.
5. Responsibility for the premises rests with the Hirer during the period of access to the Hall. Heating is included and is controlled by a programmable thermostat, which can only be altered by prior request.
6. No apparatus or equipment, of any description, may be left on the premises without prior agreement from Trustees.
7. No responsibility whatsoever can be taken by the Committee for any items left in the village hall, any damage caused by them to the hall or by any misuse of them by others. Hirers should ensure they have proper insurance for any item left or used in the hall, to include any damage caused by them to the hall and its users.
8. Repeat bookings can generally be accepted.
9. Bookings for events to be held on special calendar days, e.g., New Year’s Eve, are subject to approval by the committee. Any regular or repeat booking, by any organisation must be flexible to allow for one off events in exceptional circumstances. In the unlikely event of a booking needing to be rearranged, then clubs will be given at least 10 days’ notice in writing to cancel one event and all efforts will be made to keep this to a minimum.
10. No posters, banners or documents are to be fixed to the village hall walls, doors etc. A Club notice board is provided for regular club hirers.
11. Any decoration of the hall for a function must be removed directly after the event leaving no damage or marks on the doors, walls, etc. Any damage caused will be chargeable to Hirers.
12. Licensed bars may be arranged by the Hirer in accordance with the Licensing Regulations. It is the Hirer’s responsibility to ensure they have complied with the legislation and a copy of the licence must be given to the bookings clerk before the event. Alcohol consumption by persons under age must not be permitted.
13. All Hirers are reminded that you may not use the Village Hall as a mailing address.
14. Unsupervised children, under the age of 12, are not allowed in the kitchen area under any circumstances.
15. All Hirers must ensure that all fire exits, including the external exit from the main hall and the external iron gates, must be unlocked, kept clear of obstruction and free to open whenever the hall is in use.
Clear Up:
No further charge is made for cleaning, provided all facilities are left clean, tidy and in good repair (including lavatories, refrigerator and cooker if used). Please stack blue chairs in the main hall along the wall that is adjacent to the entrance to the kitchen area (stacked no more than 6 high). There are limited facilities for refuse collection from the Village Hall so all but minimal excess rubbish must be taken away. All food waste should be removed after each hiring and the kitchen bin must always be emptied by Hirer.
Insurance:
Public Liability insurance is included so long as organisations or persons shall not be using the building for commercial purposes. (Use by any not-for-profit organisation or person shall not be regarded as use for commercial purposes). In the event of a claim on the above insurance, hirers will be responsible for any excess applied by the policy. For commercial users, copies of certificates of insurance must be provided in advance of hire. The Public Liability insurance provided by the Village Hall explicitly excludes cover for the use of bouncy castles or similar equipment and it is a condition of hire that there is a separate adequate insurance in place to cover this. Responsibility for the use and safety of electrical equipment (and/or other equipment specified at the time of booking) brought onto the premises by the Hirer rests entirely with the Hirer. Public Liability Insurance cover must exist for such equipment. Without adequate insurance cover such equipment must not be used. Hirers may be asked to remove such equipment from the premises.
Risk Assessments:
The trustees have carried out a risk assessment for the general use of the hall and a copy is available for inspection both on the Village Hall website and in the hall itself. Hirers are responsible for reviewing this and ensuring they are familiar with it. Hirers are additionally responsible for carrying out any risk assessment necessary for their specific use of the hall prior to use.
Health and Safety:
1. The entire building and property, including the external areas, are NO SMOKING areas. Any cleaning of cigarette ends etc., left in the road or pavement outside the hall, is the responsibility of Hirers.
2. If you use the hot water facility, you must comply with all the safety instructions at all times.
3. Fire exits are clearly marked and the fire assembly point is on the pavement in front of the Village Hall.
4. All fire exits, including the external exit from the main hall, must be unlocked and kept clear of obstruction. The external iron gates should be free to open during the hire period and closed at the end of the hire period.
5. No vehicles should obstruct the area outside either entrance or the side kitchen fire exit. The brick paved area may only be parked on for short periods of loading and unloading.
6. Car parking facilities are limited with only a small amount of street parking available. Hirers must ensure that everyone in their party parks responsibly and with consideration to residents of the village at all times. Hirers should make every effort to limit the number of cars parked in the village (e.g., by car sharing)
7. No ball games can be played on external areas of hall.
8. A first-aid kit is in the kitchen.
9. Fire extinguishers are marked.
10. Nobody should sit on, or place items on, the radiators.
11. Please record any damage to the hall or failure of equipment (including tables and chairs) in the Log Book in the kitchen.
Dog Training Classes:
Smisby Village Hall welcomes responsible dog trainers and dog owners who abide by our rules and leave the hall as they found it. Hirers are reminded that during the period of hire, they are entirely responsible for the behaviour of all persons and animals using the hall and must ensure that animals are kept under control at all times.
Please note:
1. Dogs are not, under any circumstances, allowed to enter the kitchen area of the village hall.
2. Dogs are not, under any circumstances, allowed on the grass areas around the village hall.
3. Hirers must ensure that the hall floor is wet washed with disinfectant after every session.
4. Dog owners must adhere to all Covid rules in place at the time of hire.
Security:
Hirers are responsible for the security of the Hall, its contents and their use of the premises at all times. For all hiring there should be a designated responsible adult on the premises at all times and children's parties must be properly supervised.
Neighbours:
Please be aware that the Village Hall is in a residential area, therefore noise levels outside the hall must be kept to a level acceptable to the Trustees (i.e., if there are windows/doors open, the volume needs to be lower than if these are shut). If a neighbour is disturbed by the noise from the village hall and they politely request you to reduce the noise it is the Hirers responsibility to comply with this request and to maintain it at that level for the remainder of the hire period. For all events involving music or loudspeakers, doors and windows must be closed by 10:00pm.
Oversight of functions:
The Trustees of the Village Hall reserve the right to enter the hall at any time during an event if they have reason to believe there may be a problem or they have received a complaint, and to impose further conditions on the spot or curtail the event, with the assistance of the police if necessary, for the welfare of guests, neighbours or the safety of the building.
Emergency contact numbers for problems during your event:
Bookings Clerk 07957 545 472
Ian Rice 07958 102212
Ron Walker 07908 672317
The Standard conditions of hire may be amended from time to time as deemed reasonably appropriate by the trustees and upon giving reasonable notice to hirers.
Page 3 of 3
Issued: January 2015
Latest Update May 2023