Terms and Agreements for Hiring

BRIDPORT UNITED CHURCH (‘the Church’)

CONDITIONS OF HIRING CHURCH PREMISES (‘the Conditions’)

 

  1. In the Conditions:
    1. ‘The Application’ means the accepted application to hire premises.
    2. ‘The Owners’ means The United Reformed Church (Wessex) Trust Limited, the Church or their Agent.
    3. ‘The Hirer’ means the person signing the Application and any group / organisation for whom he / she is acting. Any liability under the Conditions of such person and such group / organisation shall be joint and several.
    4. ‘The Premises’ means the areas, spaces, facilities, equipment and parking spaces more particularly defined and agreed in the Application and the access provision thereto.
    5. ‘Rules and Regulations’ means any rules made by the Owners from time to time for the use of the Premises, including any shared areas or facilities.

Payments

  1. The Hirer shall make all payments to the Owners in the manner and on the due dates agreed in the Application.
  2. The Owners reserve the right to review and increase the Hire Charge(s) and Security Deposit payable pursuant to the Application.
  3. The Owners will repay any Security Deposit to the Hirer without interest within 7 days of the last hire, less any deductions made by the Owners to cover any unpaid sums due under the hire and the actual or anticipated cost of remedying any breach of the Conditions.

Use of premises

  1. The Hirer acknowledges that this hiring agreement confers permission to access and use the Premises only for the Purpose on the date(s), day(s) and times(s) agreed in the Application, the benefit of which cannot be assigned to any third party, and further that no relationship of landlord and tenant between the Owners and the Hirer or any other rights of occupation are created.
  2. The Hirer is responsible for ensuring that not more than the number of persons agreed in the Application shall be allowed in the Premises at any one time.
  3. Where keys, keycards or access codes are issued to the Hirer, the Hirer acknowledges that the keys or keycards: remain the property of the Owners; are for the use of the nominated keyholders only; are not to be copied or passed to any other person, and; where an access code is provided to the Hirer, that they must remain confidential and not be communicated to any other individual. Keys cannot be issued to anyone who has been convicted or cautioned concerning abuse of children, young people or adults at risk.
  4. The Hirer acknowledges that the Owners give no warranty that the Premises are legally or physically fit for the hire.
  5. The Hirer acknowledges that all persons using the Premises or bringing belongings onto the Premises do so entirely at their own risk.
  6. The Hirer or another authorised person of any group / organisation for whom he / she is acting shall be present throughout the hire period to be responsible for the safe and efficient supervision of the Premises, including but not limited to the effective control of all persons present and the orderly and safe departure of all persons from the Premises in the case of an emergency evacuation.
  7. The Hirer acknowledges that there is no parking provision on site except to the extent agreed in advance and in writing by the Owners.
  8. The Owners reserve the right to enter the Premises and remain on the Premises during the hire at any time.
  9. The Owners may put a stop to any hire which in their opinion is not properly conducted or does not respect the special status of the Premises, or which may interfere with the activities of the Owners or other hirers, or which may infringe any of the Conditions, or which might compromise the ministry and mission of the United Reformed Church.

Compliance with rules and regulations

  1. The Hirer must comply with all Rules and Regulations where they have been provided to the Hirer either in writing or by email.
  2. The Hirer is responsible for complying with all laws and regulations relating to their use of the Premises and for obtaining and paying for any consents, licences (unless a relevant licence is already held by the Owners) and permits (which for the avoidance of doubt includes any Performing Rights Society Licence and Temporary Event Notice) required to lawfully use the Premises for the Purpose intended. Further to which the Hirer must also obtain any particular licences required for public / theatrical performances involving music, singing and dancing, and if copyright material is used or performed, the permission of the owner of the copyright. 
  3. The Hirer acknowledges that to comply with current legislation, smoking and the sale of alcoholic beverages are not permitted on any part of the Premises.
  4. The Hirer acknowledges that pets and animals (except assistance animals) are not permitted in the Premises except to the extent agreed in advance and in writing by the Owners.
  5. The Hirer must not bring into the Premises any contaminative or hazardous substances, or anything of an especially combustible, inflammable or explosive nature.
  6. The Hirer must not display any form of external advertising at the Premises, except to the extent agreed in advance and in writing by the Owners, but may appropriately signpost their location during the period of a hire session.

Safeguarding

  1. The Hirer is responsible for ensuring that when children, young people or adults at risk are present on the Premises because of the hire all legislation and best practice in connection with their safeguarding, supervision and safety is observed.
  2. The Hirer is responsible for ensuring that children, young people and adults are protected at all times by taking all necessary steps and by having an appropriate insurance policy in place.  
  3. The Hirer must respond, record and report to the statutory agencies and to the Church Safeguarding Coordinator without delay every complaint/concern/investigation associated with the Hirer’s activities on the Premises which suggests that a child, young person or adult at risk has been harmed or is at risk of harm. The Hirer must also cooperate with the Police and Children’s and Adult Services in any investigation and inform the Church Safeguarding Coordinator of its outcome.
  4. The Hirer must as a minimum follow safer recruitment practices for all staff and volunteers involved in leading their activities including all those who require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for the role they are undertaking:

(See www.gov.uk/government/collections/dbs-eligibility-guidance).

  1. The Hirer must abide by their own Safeguarding Policy if they are required to have one for the hire. In any event, the Hirer must as a minimum comply with Conditions 20 to 23 which are safeguarding good practice standards and which must be read alongside and applied together with the URC Good Practice guidance issued from time to time (see below).
  2. The Hirer will provide a copy of their insurance and safeguarding policies, and other documents in accordance with URC Good Practice guidance, to the Church Safeguarding Coordinator for information only, to enable the Church Safeguarding Coordinator to verify the existence of such documents. In providing a copy of their Safeguarding Policy, the Hirer will highlight those areas within the policy which specifically address Conditions 22 and 23.  For the avoidance of doubt, the Church Safeguarding Coordinator in receiving a copy of the Hirer’s Safeguarding Policy or insurance does not warrant to undertake a detailed review of the documents to assess the suitability of the documents, etc, or assume any responsibility for the Hirer’s obligations under Conditions 20 to 24 whatsoever. The responsibility for implementing, maintaining and adhering to all legislation and best practice in connection with safeguarding, supervision and safety associated with the Hirer’s activities on the Premises lies solely with the Hirer.

(See www.urc.org.uk/safeguarding for further information. The URC Good Practice guidance includes a model Safeguarding Policy, information about contacting statutory agencies, reporting, safer recruitment practices, etc.).

The Church Safeguarding Coordinator is:  Allison White

Their contact details are: whiteallison518@gmail.com

Public safety

  1. The Hirer must abide by the Church’s Evacuation and Fire Emergency Plan.
  2. The Hirer must not obstruct any means of exit from the Premises.
  3. The Hirer must observe all relevant food health and hygiene legislation.
  4. The Hirer must ensure that any electrical appliances brought onto the Premises are safe, in good working order and used in a safe manner.
  5. All accidents involving injury to members of the public must be recorded in the appropriate accident book and be notified to the Owners as soon as possible.

Repair, damage, insurance and indemnity

  1. The Hirer is responsible for any loss or damage to the Premises (which for the avoidance of doubt includes its electrical installations) and for any loss, theft of, or damage to any property on the Premises (which for the avoidance of doubt includes any fittings or furnishings belonging to the Owners) arising out of the hire, or while persons are entering or leaving the Premises pursuant to the hire, howsoever and by whomsoever caused.
  2. The Hirer is responsible for any loss, damage, injury or expense which may be suffered by or be done to or happen to any person, arising out of the hire, or while persons are entering or leaving the Premises pursuant to the hire, howsoever and by whomsoever caused.
  3. The Hirer must ensure that no bolts, nails, screws, pins, spikes or other objects are driven into the fabric or furnishings of the Premises, and that no adhesive products are used on the walls of the Premises.
  4. The Hirer must report any matters of potential interest to the Owners, such as damage, howsoever caused or arising from their use of the Premises, or their breach of the Conditions, whether directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever.
  5. The Hirer shall indemnify the Owners from and against any loss, damage or theft of any property, or any other demands, actions, proceedings, losses, damages, costs, expenses, claims and liability from any person, howsoever caused or arising from their use of the Premises, or their breach of the Conditions, whether directly or indirectly in any manner whatsoever.
  6. The Hirer acknowledges that the Owners’ Public Liability Insurance does not extend to external hirings, that the Hirer is strongly advised to arrange their own Public Liability Insurance, and that the Owners reserve the right to insist that such insurance is arranged and a copy provided.
  7. The Owners are not responsible for any loss due to any breakdown of machinery, failure of supply of electricity or gas, leakage of water, fire, government restriction or Act of God, which may cause the Premises to be temporarily closed or the hire to be interrupted or cancelled.

End of each hire session

  1. The Hirer must fully vacate the Premises by the time agreed in the Application.
  2. Any property brought into the Premises for any reason arising out of the hire session or otherwise, must be removed at the end of each hire. The Owners shall not be responsible for any property left behind in any event.
  3. The Hirer must not store any property on the Premises, except to the extent agreed in advance and in writing by the Owners. Where permission is granted, this is not intended to confer exclusive possession on the Hirer and no tenancy of the Premises is intended to be created. The Owners reserve the right to relocate stored goods at any time and for any reason.
  4. The Hirer must at the end of each hire session return any borrowed or hired items, equipment and furniture to their original location.
  5. The Hirer must at the end of each hire session ensure that the Premises are left in a clean, orderly and smoke free state. Failure to adequately clean the Premises and remove all rubbish arising from the hire may result in an additional charge for cleaning.
  6. The Hirer must at the end of each hire session ensure that all lights and appliances are turned off and that the Premises are left securely locked (which for the avoidance of doubt includes the locking of all doors and windows).

Termination of hiring agreement

  1. The Owners reserve the right to cancel any hire on giving not less than the Notice Period specified in the Application (except in the event of emergencies when less notice than the Notice Period may be given) and to cancel the hire at any time in the event of any material breach of the Conditions.
  2. The Hirer must give the Notice Period specified in the Application to the Owners of any cancellation of the hire, otherwise the applicable Hire Charge(s) will be payable.
  3. Service of such cancellation notices is sufficient if it is in writing or by email to the Hirer or to the Owners’ Agent.
  4. The hiring agreement terminates on the specified End Date unless terminated earlier.
  5. The Hirer must return any keys or keycards to the Premises which have been issued at the earliest opportunity following the end of the hiring agreement. A written receipt for the keys or keycards must be obtained.

 

 

 

BRIDPORT UNITED CHURCH

RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR HIRING CHURCH PREMISES (‘the Rules and Regulations’)

 

  1. These Rules and Regulations are supplementary to the Conditions of Hiring Church Premises as set out in 1.5 of the Conditions.

 

  1. The correct name of the church is BRIDPORT UNITED CHURCH which must be quoted accurately on all posters, notices and advertisements, which must also state the name of the organisation or person hiring the premises and the purpose for which the function is being held.

 

  1. Where keys are issued to the Hirer, the Hirer must complete and return the Keyholder Declaration Form prior to the hiring. On completion of the hiring, all keys must be returned to the Lettings Officer.

 

  1. During the period of hire, the Hirer is responsible for ensuring that the premises are not left open or unattended. The heating system is set automatically and cannot be altered by Hirers.

 

  1. WiFi is available on the premises, subject  to the Owner’s Guest WiFi Acceptable Use Policy, which is displayed on the premises.  Access to or interference with the WiFi hub, router, or related equipment by the Hirer or any member of their group is strictly prohibited. 

 

  1. If use of the sound system is required this should be discussed in advance with the Lettings Officer, who will arrange for a suitably qualified operator, if available. Access to or interference with the sound system, including amplifiers, microphones and related equipment by the Hirer is strictly prohibited.

 

  1. The Hirer is responsible for setting out tables, chairs, crockery etc. for use, and must return them  to their original location unless otherwise agreed. The  Hirer must ensure that all rooms, including the kitchen, are left clean and tidy, with all lights and equipment switched off, and all rubbish removed.

 

  1. The Hirer must comply with Health and Safety requirements for using the kitchen, displayed on the wall, and follow the instructions provided for use of the water heaters, dishwasher, food warmer, cooker, microwave oven and refrigerator, which are located near each item of equipment.  No children are permitted in the kitchen.

 

  1. All EXIT signs must be switched on and the Hirer must ensure they are familiar with how to activate the fire alarm system, location of fire extinguishers, fire exits and assembly points, in case of need to evacuate the premises.  The Hirer is responsible for carrying out a Risk Assessment for the area of the premises they use and the safety of any equipment brought onto the premises.  The Hirer must appoint a ‘Responsible Person’ to liaise with the Church on fire safety measures.

 

  1. The maximum number of persons permitted to use the Main Hall is 100.  For hirings which include use of the Main Hall, Inner Hall and Cottage Room the maximum number permitted is 150.

 

  1. Smoking and alcoholic beverages are not permitted on any part of the Premises.

Gambling activity is permitted only when  incidental to the main event and subject to the following conditions:-

    1. Sales of tickets or chances must be at the event only
    2. Winners of prizes must be announced at the event
    3. Prizes must be in kind, cash prizes are not permitted
    4. Prizes which contain alcohol are not  permitted

 

  1. Room hire includes access to the car park in Folly Mill Lane solely for the purpose of delivering or collection of equipment, goods and materials to/from the premises.  The parking of vehicles is not permitted except for vehicles for which the Hirer has purchased a parking permit from the Lettings Officer or where a Blue disabled badge is displayed.  Up to 5 parking permits can be purchased at £1 per permit for each hire, prior to the commencement of the hire.  Permits must be displayed on the vehicle’s dashboard at all times.  Parking permits allow cars to be parked at the owner’s risk during the period of hire only, provided space is available.  The availability of spaces is not guaranteed.

 

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