Hire Terms and Conditions

3.1. A hire of one or more spaces in the building shall apply only to the dates and times specified in the hire agreement – it does not allow the hirer access to the building beyond the dates or times specified or to any other areas of the building not specified in the hire agreement.

3.2. Members may receive preferential rates for hires, which we may amend at our discretion. Bookings of function rooms are taken on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

3.3. You agree to permit us to search all containers, bags, boxes and equipment coming into or leaving the venue, including those brought onto the venue by, Members, guests and attendees during the Hire Period.

3.4. At our sole discretion we may move your hire booking from one space to another within the building. In doing so, we will ensure that the space you are moved to is adequate to accommodate the needs stated in the Hire Details. If we move you to a different space in the building there will be no increase to the quoted fees, nor will there be any discount provided on the quoted fees.

3.5. Unless they have been agreed in the Hire Details, hire fees will be as displayed on our website or other up to date marketing materials. These must be paid in full, in advance of the event and within our payment terms. Failure to do so will result in the booking being cancelled with no further notice.

3.6. The provision of door personnel for private parties is a requirement of booking. You may not provide your own door security personnel.

3.7. Our own staff may come and go from any part of the venue as we require without restriction. It is your responsibility to ensure that anyone on the door of the venue allows ease of access for our staff and you may not under any circumstances restrict access for our staff.

3.8. If you are providing your own staff/volunteers for the event, you must make them all known to our staff on site – we will expect you to manage your own staff/volunteers and anyone with responsibility for your event must be capable and sober. We encourage young people to get involved with events, but they cannot enter into a contract if they are under 18 and so an adult of 18 or over must agree to the booking and be the responsible person. If under 18s are running an event they must be overseen by an appropriate number of competent adults.

3.9. Your staff/volunteers/guests may not go behind the bar, into our kitchen or into any restricted or ‘staff only’ areas of the venue – only HQ staff are permitted in these areas.

3.10. If we have agreed a ‘tab’ with you for drinks at the bar, then this must be agreed in advance in writing by us and we will require a deposit from you, which must be paid in full in advance. For private hires by individuals we will require the settlement of the tab at the end of your event before you leave. For corporate bodies hiring the venue, we will invoice you on the day following the event for the balance of fees for any tab and payment will be due on receipt of the invoice – if your procurement rules do not allow this we regret that we cannot provide you with any sort of tab. We will not ordinarily agree tabs for first time hirers.

3.11. We will arrange the furniture in the venue to meet your reasonable requirements, but please note that we cannot guarantee to remove all items of furniture from the venue. Some movement of chairs is inevitable at parties, but you may not otherwise rearrange the furniture or any equipment. If you need this, please let us know and we will do our best to assist but we cannot guarantee that we can do this.

3.12. If we provide a PA system for use by a band or DJ then the system may only be operated by our own technicians unless we have explicitly agreed otherwise with you in advance and in writing. If you hire a PA system from a third party (including if provided by a band or DJ) then you must satisfy yourself that any contractor is competent to operate the equipment and sound levels must be kept within reasonable levels – if any member of our staff requires sound levels to be reduced, this must be complied with immediately. If there are repeated increases to the sound volume when we have asked you to reduce it then we may terminate the event without further notice – if we do this then we will not issue any refunds.

3.13. If you require any form of staging then you must agree this with us in advance and you must use a reputable contractor who will certify the structure, providing us with a copy. If the stage is outdoors it must be adequately earthed and ensure that no damage is caused to our floors or external paving. You must ensure that any contractor has adequate insurance policies to cover this, along with a written risk assessment and method statement, copies of which must be provided to us – we may require evidence of these before confirming your booking.

3.14. You may not attach any items to walls/ceilings without our explicit prior written agreement. Please note that we do not permit fixing of items to any painted or varnished surfaces under any circumstances so please do not ask.

3.15. Some spillages and accidental breakages are to be expected and we will be reasonable in this regard, but we reserve the right to levy a damages or soiling charge for events that cause damage to the venue or unreasonable levels of mess. This will be recharged to you at cost to us plus 15% and this is payable immediately upon demand. If damage has been caused by your guests/attendees you as the hirer will remain liable to pay the costs to us – it is for you to then recover those costs from your guests if you wish. If excessive damage is caused then we reserve the right to charge additional administration fees.

3.16. You and your guests may login to our public wifi – use of the system has its own terms and conditions (these are available via the login page). This is subject to ‘fair use’ of our system. Excessive downloads and/or inappropriate or illegal material downloads will result in permanent withdrawal of the service and a ban from our venue.

3.17. You may distribute flyers for other activities/events to your own guests whilst in the venue but we do not permit fixing of posters to any painted or varnished surfaces, and any posters otherwise displayed during an event must be removed at the conclusion of the event. We reserve the right to refuse the issuing of any flyers or other materials if we consider them to be in conflict with our House Rules.

3.18. If your event is open to the public then we will display posters on our corridor notice boards if you wish. We will not remove other people’s posters from these notice boards for your event. We have a ‘no posters’ policy in the rest of our venue.

3.19. We can display a small number of flyers on our counter, but this is at our discretion and subject to maintaining a reasonably clear serving area. Please ask if you wish to do this. You must remove any flyers or other materials you have provided for your event at the end of the event at your own cost and dispose of these off-site. Any materials you leave behind will be recycled or binned. If the numbers left are excessive we reserve the right to make a charge for disposal where this increases our costs. If so, this will be recharged to you at cost to us plus 15%.

3.20. If a DJ, band or other performer forms part of your booking and you or they would like us to dim/turn off some of the house lights then we will do so insofar as it is feasible, but please note that the venue is not an auditorium and that we must maintain certain levels of lighting in the venue. Any switching off of house lights is at the sole discretion of our staff – you and your contractors may not operate or amend our house lighting in any circumstances

3.21. All fire exits must be kept clear at all times, and fire fighting equipment may not be moved, obscured or tampered with. Any bands/DJs or other performers/contractors that you have as part of your event must be set up to ensure that fire exits remain clear and fire fighting equipment is accessible. This is non-negotiable so please do not ask us to make exceptions. If equipment or items are placed in a manner that blocks fire exits or obscures fire fighting equipment, we will politely ask for it to be moved. If this is not done immediately, then we reserve the right to move any items that are blocking fire exist or fire fighting equipment without further notice and we accept no liability for any damage caused to such items if we do this.

3.22. If you or your contractors have cases/large items then these must be removed from the venue once emptied and stored in a vehicle – we will be reasonable but there is limited additional storage on site and we cannot restrict access into our store rooms.

3.23. You and your guests bring personal items to the venue at your/their own risk, and this includes bicycles, scooters and any other type of vehicle stopped or parked in the courtyard or anywhere else in the proximity of HQ- we do not accept any liability for any lost or damaged personal items.

3.24. We do not allow you to bring your own food/drink nor do we allow outside contractors to provide food for the venue. We make an exception for birthday cakes/small non-alcoholic party favours where no charge is made for them. If providing favours, please note that we try to be as environmentally sustainable as possible as a venue, so please try to restrict the use of single use plastics and any other environmentally harmful items.

3.25. Any contractors that you may use for your event, for example DJs or bands, must carry their own public liability (and if relevant employer’s liability) insurance and we may ask to see a copy of this in advance. If a contractor is unable to provide us with reasonable proof of this then we reserve the right to refuse them access. In this instance no refunds will be made.

3.26. Any electrical equipment that you or your contractors use must be fit for purpose and carry a current PAT test sticker, this includes any items used by DJs/bands or other contractors you may use, including any extension leads (please note that it is no longer permissible to not PAT test an item because it is newly bought) and we reserve the right to refuse to allow items to be used if they do not meet this requirement.

3.27. You must ‘stage manage’ any performances by DJs/bands, which includes ensuring that they keep to reasonable sound levels, that they conclude performances within agreed times to adhere to our license agreements, and that they operate in a safe and considerate manner.

3.28. We have a zero tolerance policy to abuse of our staff – we will work with you to identify any persons that are abusive and they will be removed from the venue (including the courtyard) immediately and may not return.

3.29. CCTV operates in the venue and will be in operation throughout the event. Signage is present in the venue to make people aware of this. Under GDPR rules you are not permitted to view our CCTV footage. Hirers and their guests may not object to, obscure, nor require us to turn off any of our CCTV.

3.30. Please note that the venue has accommodation on the upper floors that is not owned or managed by us. We must keep to reasonable sound levels, including noise levels outdoors late in the evening and curfews must be respected. Whilst we will do our best, please note that we have no direct control over residents in those premises. Please be respectful of nearby residents when leaving our venue at all times.

3.31. You must remove all items that you bring with you from the event at the conclusion of the event, including any packaging materials and excess rubbish. You may not store items overnight without our prior written agreement but please note that usually we will not permit this. We will be reasonable for any items that are genuinely overlooked or left behind – we will notify you if this happens and we will expect you to arrange to have any such items picked up on our next working day during our normal opening hours. Any items that are not picked up promptly will become our property and will be disposed of by us at our discretion.

3.32. No smoking or vaping is permitted in the venue. Smoking/vaping outdoors is permitted but must be away from doors/windows.

3.33. We have a zero-tolerance policy to the use of illegal drugs and anyone caught using illegal drugs inside the venue or in the courtyard area will be required to leave immediately.

3.34. We will not ordinarily agree to external caterers. If we agree to make an exception to this, it shall be approved by us in writing at the time we confirm the booking, and in the absence of such confirmation you will not be permitted to engage external caterers. In such instances they may only cater to your function and they must bring all their equipment with them and remove their own waste – they will not be permitted to use our kitchens or bin stores. The full costs of any such service must be met by you directly and you will be liable for them whilst on site.

3.35. In all instances, nobody other than HQ may sell drinks. You may not provide giveaways/free drinks (aside from small ‘party favours’). Bringing bottled breast milk or similar for babies or infants is permissible.

3.36. If we agree to you using a catering contractor they must be registered with their relevant Environmental Health regulatory body and must display their ‘scores on the doors’ sticker. If they cannot provide proof of this, if their registration is ‘pending’, or their hygiene rating is 3 or below (or withdrawn), then we reserve the right not to permit you to use them. If this occurs, no refunds will be provided.

3.37. You and your guests are not permitted to bring any type of food or drink into our venue.

3.38. No parking is provided. With our prior agreement you may pull one or two vehicles into the yard to unload but these must be removed and parked offsite once you have unloaded – you must remove your vehicle(s) before you set up. Vehicles may not be brought back until the event has concluded and vehicle movement on site is restricted to 5mph. If people are still in the yard at the time the event concludes we may require you to park on the street to load up at the end of the event. No bicycles or scooters may be left on site after the conclusion of your event.

3.39. We may refuse service to any persons who are intoxicated.

3.40. All corporate hirers are responsible for risk assessing their events and ensuring that adequate insurance cover is in place. We may ask for a copy of your risk assessment in advance. Private hirers who are individuals hiring the venue are covered under our general insurances, but must ensure that any third party contractors have conducted their own risk assessments and that they are adequately insured. We reserve the right to request copies of any such risk assessments or insurance evidence.

3.41. You may not incorporate any high risk activities within your event, such activities to include, but not be limited to: fire eating/juggling, any form of pyrotechnics, any performance or activity that takes place at height such as abseiling/tightrope walking or similar, any event that uses drones for any purpose, any form of fairground ride or indoor ride, any form of inflatable play equipment such as bouncy castles. Should we agree to make any exception to this, we will only do so if you can provide us with evidence well in advance of your event (minimum of 1 month prior) of adequate insurance cover that is satisfactory to our insurers. We will also require a written risk assessment and method statement at the same time from the contractor. We may stop an event if we consider that activities being undertaken are dangerous to participants or to our staff or that they pose a serious risk to our venue.

3.42. If you have any form of children’s entertainment then you warrant that you have taken adequate precautions to ensure that any entertainers are DBS checked and fit to work with children.

3.43. In any event, the safeguarding of any children, minors or vulnerable people will be your responsibility as the event organiser. With young children especially, please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that they are supervised and that you recognise that the courtyard is open to the street on two sides during daytime hours and that there is a push bar gate that can be easily operated that allows access to the street, and you recognise the risks that arise from this. The push bar gate is for emergency exit purposes and cannot be secured from the inside.

3.44. Whilst we can restrict access to certain areas of the venue to you that you have booked, which may include the higher terrace in the courtyard, please note that there is no exclusive use of the lower courtyard area for you or your guests.

3.45. We are a dog friendly venue, but owners must adhere to our dog-friendly guidance, which is displayed in the venue and available on request.

3.46. You are welcome to market your event, but in doing so you must not do anything that implies that you own or operate the venue or do anything that would otherwise bring our venue into disrepute. You may not restrict access to other users of our venue except to the parts of the building that you have hired. In any event, you may not restrict access by our staff at any time.

3.47. You must abide by any health related restrictions and guidance imposed by Government and/or any that we may impose as a venue.

3.48. We will not permit any event to take place in our venue that contravenes our equal opportunities policies. Any events or activities that promote or incite hate are not permitted. If an event is booked under false pretences and as it progresses we determine that the event is in contravention with our values of equality then we reserve the right to immediately cease the event and ask you to leave. In the unlikely event that this occurs no deposits will be refunded and all costs incurred to that point will remain payable.

3.49. Events must end at the time stated in the Hire Details that we have agreed with you. We will not extend the booking beyond this time.

3.50. Any discount that we may provide for a booking applies to the quoted amount showing the discount only; any future events or additional items that are later specified and/or any surcharges made for breakages or similar are not subject to any discounts applied to the original booking.

3.51. Force majeure applies to all events – in the event of circumstances beyond our control (a “Force Majeure Event”) we may cancel the booking. In such events we will refund any fees paid, less costs we have incurred that we cannot get refunded. We will not be liable for any costs that you may incur in this event.

3.52. Should any party we deal with become insolvent, be declared bankrupt, die, or cease to be of sound mind as determined by a medical professional or court, then we will cancel the booking immediately and refund any fees paid less any costs that we have incurred to that date that are non-refundable.

3.53. Throughout the booking and planning of your event, and during the Hire Period, you must (and must ensure that attendees at your event) comply with the House Rules, as issued by us from time to time.

3.54. Deposits, bookings and cancellations policy:

3.54.1. A deposit of £100 is required to secure the date for your event unless we explicitly agree otherwise with you in advance. If you cancel your event less than 4 weeks before the event is scheduled, this deposit is forfeited. Your booking is not confirmed until we receive your deposit.

3.54.2. If you use purchase orders, then we will not confirm a booking until the Purchase Order is received. We will not vary the booking, including numbers for catering (whether these increase or decrease) once a purchase order is received, unless the event is cancelled, in which case the cancellation fees below will apply.

3.54.3. Buffet bookings must be confirmed a minimum of two weeks before the event, this includes agreed menu and any food allergies or dietary requirements for your party. It is your responsibility to ensure that your guests’ allergy and dietary requirements are clearly and accurately reported to us. The balance of buffet and venue hire fees must be paid for in full one week prior to the event for private hires.

3.54.4. Hire cancellation costs when cancelled by client:
a) 14 days or less prior to the date of your event – 50% of venue hire fee, 100% of catering costs, and any costs to us of cancelled third party providers will be charged to you;
b) 7 days or less 100% of venue and catering costs and the costs to us of any cancelled third party providers,
and the deposit held by us shall be taken into account when making the above calculations.

3.54.5. In the unlikely event that we must cancel an event, we will refund you in full unless the cancellation is due to a breach of these terms and conditions or a Force Majeure Event.

3.54.6. The procedure for making a booking is as follows:
a) The booking date is agreed and a £100 deposit required to secure the date or P.O. number for business and public sector organisations.
b) Event outline and requirements agreed.
c) 2 weeks before: Menu and venue layout confirmed for event space (as applicable)
d) 1 week before: balance due for 100% of venue hire fee, and additional expenses.
e) Bar tab: Any agreed bar tab must be paid in advance prior to the event. Any unused bar tab allocation will be refunded to the client. Bar tabs are discretionary and not automatic – you must request this and have our prior written agreement.