Instructions and Conditions of Use for Tynemouth Village Hall
Hire fees
You will be charged an hourly rate for the use of the Hall. For one-off events, we will invoice you in advance, indicating the methods of payment. Fees need to receive in full prior to your event. The hourly rate is reviewed annually.
Opening and Closing
A key holder will open the Hall for you and close it at the times indicated on your booking form. You may be asked to leave the Hall once you have finished by locking the front door on the yale latch and a key holder will inspect and fully lock the Hall later that day. Please ensure that any outside caterers or contractors are aware of the hire period and that they will not be able to enter before or leave after the hire period.
Please telephone Steve Dixon (Vicar) on 07729 393 580 in case of difficulty.
Bouncy Castles and inflatable play equipment
Bouncy castles and other such inflatable play equipment are not permitted inside the Hall, though you are welcome to use the grass area outside the Hall for this.
Parties for Teenagers
Unfortunately, due to some experiences of damage during parties held for teenagers, we no longer take bookings for such events.
Safety
No smoking or vaping is allowed inside or around the Hall. The Hall Health and Safety file is available for your use and is kept in the Parish Office. A First Aid Box is located on the right hand side of the stage.
Location and Use of Fire Equipment
Fire extinguishers and rotary fire gongs are at either end of the hall. There is also a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket located in the kitchen.
In the event of a fire, the Hall should be evacuated in an orderly manner using the appropriate exits and the Fire Brigade should be called, dialling 999.
The exact location of the fire exits and fire extinguishers must be noted before the Hall is occupied and the manner of opening fire doors should be made known to your users.
Accidents
All hirers are required to complete details of any accident or incident occurring during their occupation of the premises (which did or could give rise to injury) as soon as possible after the accident/incident but in any case before the premises are vacated by them after the event. The Accident/Incident Book is to be found on the kitchen window sill. Any significant incident should be reported immediately to the Vicar or a Churchwarden.
Disabled access
All areas of the Village Hall are wheelchair accessible apart from the stage.
Heating
The heating will be programmed to match your hire period. Please inform us at the time of booking if you need the Hall to be particularly warm or cold. Please note that changing the heating thermostat will have no immediate effect as it takes several hours in cold weather for the Hall to warm up.
Chairs and tables
There are 75 folding chairs and 10 folding tables in the cupboard to the left hand side as you enter the main hall space. Please ensure that chairs and tables are safely stacked back in the cupboard after use with table tops cleaned. More chairs and tables are available on request.
Kitchen
The Hall kitchen is a good size and suitable for most catering needs. There are two washing up sinks and two gas cookers available for your use. You will need to provide your own crockery and cutlery. There is a fridge in the kitchen for your use. Please inform us at the time of booking if you need use of the fridge so that we can switch it on the day before.
Telephone and internet
The Hall has no telephone so you are advised to bring a fully charged mobile telephone for use in an emergency. Mobile phone signal is limited inside the Hall, but is usually good outside. There is no WiFi internet in the Hall.
Car Parking
There is limited parking on the Hall forecourt. We share the forecourt with the Scout and Guide HQ who may also have an event happening at the time of your booking, so please ensure there is access to this building. Manor Road is permit holder parking, but there is some free parking on Birtley Avenue and low cost parking at Tynemouth Metro Station. Please be aware that parking at the weekend is very limited and park with consideration for our neighbours and their driveways.
Care of the Hall
Please do not use drawing pins or sellotape on the walls or other surfaces; use blu-tack if you need to put up notices. Do not fix decorations near light fittings or heaters as this could cause a fire. Please leave the Hall clean and tidy. In particular we ask that you ensure table tops are wiped clean after use. The Hall cleaner is not in after every event, so the next users rely on you leaving the Hall in a useable state. We reserve the right to charge hirers for any additional cleaning we deem necessary. Please do not leave any rubbish in or around the Hall – take it away at the end of your session as our bins cannot cope. If you use the land at the side of the hall, please take care of the children’s blue play area. This is solely for the use of children and their toys.
Faults/Damage/Comments
Please report any faults or damage to the Vicar or Churchwardens as soon as possible so that they can be rectified quickly. We welcome constructive comments or observations you may have about the hire of the Hall.
As you leave
The building should be vacated at the agreed finish time. If your event is in the evening, please be considerate to local residents and leave quietly at the close of your event.