Conditions of Hire for Users - WELCOME!
We’re delighted that you’d like to use our church building. We’re keen to make our hall available to the local community & hope you feel welcome. To ensure that your event goes well & that the hall is left in a safe state for other users, please read and follow these conditions.
SMOKING - It is against the law to smoke in the building.
ALCOHOL IS BANNED IN OUR CHURCH HALLS - It can not be SERVED or SOLD.
PLACE OF WORSHIP - Christ Church Bexleyheath is a Church of England Parish Church, which means that the whole building is a place of prayer and worship.
HALL USE Our two halls available for hire are: Roberts Hall & Pincott Hall (both have access to a kitchen).
There is a maximum of 120 people seated in the Roberts Hall & 32 people seated in Pincott Hall.
The purpose for which you are hiring the hall, as stated on your booking form & cannot be altered without our permission. Stiletto heels or steel-capped/tipped shoes/boots must not be worn in Roberts Hall.
SAFEGUARDING When the hall is booked, the hirer takes responsibility for the safety and protection of children & vulnerable adults for the duration of the booking. The Church’s Safeguarding Policy requires hirers to ensure that children & young people under the age of 18 are not left unsupervised either inside or outside the building at any time. When there are children or young people under 18 at least two adults must be present at all times. It is also the responsibility of the hirer to ensure that all activities are run with due regard for the health & safety and the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.
GENERAL SAFETY The hirer is responsible for ensuring that the premises are used & all activities are run in a safe & sensible way. The First Aid box is in the kitchen. There is an Accident & Incident Book in the kitchen. Please make a brief record of any incident & report this to one of the contacts listed above.
INSURANCE We only carry insurance to protect ourselves as the owner of the premises. This will protect us in the event that any accident can be attributed to Christ Church. We cannot accept responsibility for anything that is done or arranged by third parties & over which we have no control. You may wish to check your own household (contents) insurance, as this may provide you with the necessary cover under the liability section - if there is one. You will need to confirm this with your own insurers.
FIRE SAFETY Make sure you note the position of the fire extinguishers & the exits. All fire exits must be unlocked while the hall is in use & fire exits must not be blocked. In the event of a fire, the Assembly Point is in the garden at the front of the church site. A copy of our Fire Notice is on the wall in the lobby.
ELECTRICAL ITEMS If you (or an individual / company you are hiring) bring electrical items on site e.g. bouncy castle, PA equipment, you are responsible for ensuring that all electrical items are PAT tested. You may be asked to provide evidence of this. Under no circumstances should deep fat fryers be used in the building due to the fire risk.
TABLES & CHAIRS There are approx. 120 chairs in Roberts Hall stacked in the stage cupboards & 38 chairs stacked around the edge of the Pincott Hall. Folding tables (small and large) are available in both halls. Please ensure that all chairs & tables are clean before putting them away. Please follow the instructions on the hall walls about how / where to store chairs.
DECORATIONS You can put up decorations using your own Blu-tak or masking tape, but please ensure they are fully removed before you leave.
Please do not use Sellotape & pins.
Please do not put any items on the notice-boards.
DAMAGE/ACCIDENTS The person named on the form is the hirer & takes responsibility for the booking & for making sure all conditions are fully observed. The hirer is responsible for any damage to the premises during the hire. We recognise that things do get broken sometimes, please email if this happens.
CLEANING You must fully antibacterial wipe any used surfaces including chairs, tables, kitchen area & toilets. Leaving the building in a clean & tidy for the next hirer. Photographs to prove this must be sent via WhatsApp’s to the Parish Admin.
UNLOCKING AND LOCKING UP (KEYS) You are responsible for the keys given to you for your hirer, you are responsible for unlocking & locking up for your hirer & returning the keys.
TIMEKEEPING The timing of your booking must include any time needed to set up before or clear up after your event. Please keep to the times you have booked. There may be another booking immediately following your booking & the hall must be clean and ready for this.
NOISE Please respect our neighbours. Keep the doors closed if the music is amplified. For later bookings, music must be turned off by 8pm (unless by prior arrangement).
PARKING You may park approx. 10 cars in the parking area outside the front of the Roberts Hall. Please do not park in the church car park or drive on the grass areas.
RUBBISH The blue recycling bin outside the Pincott hall is for any paper/cardboard (flattened). The yellow bin is for general rubbish. If you have more than one black bag of rubbish, please take remaining rubbish home with you to allow space for other hirers. Please check that no rubbish is left inside or outside the halls when you leave. Do NOT leave rubbish bags on or beside the bins, as we have active local foxes!
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY By signing the booking form you take responsibility for reading & following these conditions of hire.
It is also your responsibility to ensure that those helping to run your event are aware of these conditions & the need to abide by them. Bookings paid for less than 2 weeks before the event must be paid for in cash. Assuming no extra charges are incurred, or damage caused, the “breakages deposit” cheque will be returned to you (or securely destroyed) after the event.