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The community centre is owned by Trafford Council and is managed by us (Humphrey Park Community Association or HPCA) on a day to day basis.

The following documents form the contract between us (HPCA) and you (the hirer):

• these terms and conditions of hire

• your booking form

• the invoice showing your hire charges

• the receipt showing your payment

By completing the booking form, you become the hirer and must keep to these terms and conditions at all times.

1. Application

You can book the community centre by phone, email, letter or via the website. To secure your booking, you must:

• give us a fully completed booking form,

• make your payment as requested.

Your booking is not complete, and you won’t be given access to the centre, until this has been done.

We can refuse a booking without giving a reason.

To make a booking, you must be at least 18 years old.

2. Status of Hirer

If you book the community centre for a business, club or any other organisation, you must:

• have the power to enter into a contract with us on their behalf,

• tell us the name and address of the organisation, and your position there, on the booking form.

3. Invoicing and Payment

Regular users of the centre.

• We will update your account at the end of each month with new hire charges and payments received.

• You should make your payment by the due date in one of the ways stated.

• When making a payment, you must include your name or reference number so we know who it is from.

Other users of the centre.

• We will send you an invoice when you make the booking.

• You should pay the full amount, in one of the ways stated, by the due date given.

• We may also ask you for a £50 bond:

  • This must be paid by separate cheque.

  • If you keep to our terms of hire, we will return this to you, or shred it, after your session.

• When we receive your payment, we will send you a receipt.

4. Data Protection

We need to hold your personal data, both in electronic and paper form, so we can manage your bookings. In view of the changes to the Data Protection Act, you will be asked if you agree to this on the booking form.

All data held about you will be limited to your name, postal address, email address, telephone numbers and similar details relating to any company or organisation you represent. Every effort will be made to hold your data securely. It will not be shared with anyone outside of HPCA or Trafford Council without your permission, unless it is required by law. You must tell us if your data changes and needs updating.

You can refuse permission to hold your data, but we would not be able to process your booking.

5. Entry to the centre

You must only use the rooms hired and only at the agreed times.

Regular users of the Centre:

• We will provide you with a set of keys after a short settling in period.

• All keys remain our property. They must be returned on request or if you stop using the centre regularly.

• You must not have extra keys cut unless we give you permission to do so.

• When the main shutter has been opened, the bolt must be left in place to prevent it being lost.

• If you loose the bolt, you will need to pay for:

  • a new lock/bolt,

  • new keys for all key holders (including committee members and other regular users of the centre),

  • any other related costs.

Other users of the centre:

• We will meet you at agreed times to open and close the centre for you.

6. Electrical Equipment (safety and prevention of electrocution)

Electrical equipment being used in the building must have a current electrical test certificate. You must show us this certificate if we ask for it. For one off hire, a circuit breaker will be acceptable.

Do not stack chairs and other items in front of heaters.

7. Seating capacity and equipment

You must tell us (on the booking form) how many people will be attending your session. You must make sure that the number of people who do attend is no more than the maximum numbers given in Table 1 below.

Room	Maximum (Standing)	Maximum (with chairs and tables)
Main Hall	172	86
Small Hall	99	49
Combined Hall	271	135
Annexe	50	30
Committee Room	n/a	17

Table 1 – Maximum number of people allowed in each room

For safety reasons, do not block entrances, exits, corridors or passageways. Always keep them clear.

You are responsible for equipment in, or brought to, the community centre. We are not liable for any loss or damage due to the presence, use or condition of this equipment.

We may provide storage space for your own equipment if available. Do not store valuable items in the building.

8. Cancellation by HPCA

We can cancel a booking at any time, without giving notice and without giving a reason. In most cases we will try to:

• Give as much notice as possible.

• Refund payments you have made to us for hire charges, or rearrange the booking.

We have the right to censor any performance or event (eg. A play, sketch, lecture etc.) and cancel it if necessary. We are not liable for any costs incurred due to cancellations, regardless of the reason.

9. Cancellation by the hirer

If you cancel a booking more than two weeks in advance, we will refund your hire charges. If you cancel with less than two weeks notice, we will decide how much of your hire charges to refund.

Regular hirers should advise us of their term/holiday dates well in advance to avoid being charged for unused sessions.

10. Refusal of admission

We can refuse entry of any person to the centre, and require any person to leave on request, without giving a reason.

11. Performing Rights

You can not perform any copyright material unless you provide us with proof that the copyright owner has given you permission. You must pay any costs incurred due to infringement of copyright.

You must not use any TV receiving equipment to watch or record TV programmes as they are being transmitted. This includes:

• TV sets

• Video, DVD & HD recorders

• Digital boxes

• Computers, tablets, mobile phones and any other mobile device.

12. Indemnity and insurance

You will indemnify us against actions, proceedings, claims, damages, awards or costs resulting from loss, damage, death or personal injury which occurs during your session. This must be covered by £5,000,000 Public Liability insurance.

We can arrange this insurance for you if you are:

• a voluntary or community group, or

• another type of non-profit making organisation, or

• an individual using the centre for non-profit making purposes (eg. A birthday party).

If we do arrange insurance for you, we may increase your hire charges due to the extra costs involved.

You must have your own insurance in place if:

• your event doesn’t meet the above criteria, or

• you charge people to attend your session, or

• you use the centre for any profit making purposes.

You must be able to provide proof of cover if we ask for it.

13. Damage to the premises

You are responsible for protecting the premises during your session. You must take reasonable care of the centre, including (but not limited to) the following:

• Do not drive screws, nails, drawing pins etc. in to any part of the premises.

• Do not apply chalk, wax or crystals of any kind to the floors.

• You must leave the premises in a clean and tidy condition (i.e. as found). All foodstuffs & rubbish must be removed from the centre at the end of your session.

• Any equipment used (subject to permission) must be returned to its original position.

• At the end of your event, turn off all appliances, lights, heaters etc. and firmly close all internal and external doors.

• Do not use fire exit doors to leave the centre at the end of your session – they must be securely closed from the inside.

You are responsible for any costs incurred if you leave the building in an unsatisfactory condition or if we think that unreasonable damage has occurred during your session. If this happens:

• We will retain all or part of your bond.

• If your bond does not cover the costs incurred, we will send you a separate invoice showing the amount you need to pay to cover our costs.

14. Alcohol Consumption

You are not allowed to consume alcohol on the premises.

15. Smoking

In line with UK law, you are not allowed to smoke in the community centre or entrance foyer.

When smoking outside the building, please be considerate by smoking well away from doors and open windows.

Smokers must dispose of cigarette ends in a safe and responsible way - do not dispose of them within the centre building or grounds.

16. Preservation of order

You must not allow drunk and disorderly conduct or unlawful gaming to take place on the premises.

The announcement and distribution of cash prizes is not allowed.

Do not allow noise (including the playing of music) to reach a level that will disturb local residents.

The community centre should be vacated by 10pm at the latest.

Access to Police Officers, PCSOs, Council Officers and HPCA Committee Members

You will allow us, Police Officers, Police Community Support Officers and Council Officers to enter the building at any time. They have full power to enforce these terms of hire and preserve peace and good order.

We do not tolerate abuse of our staff or volunteers.

17. Supervision of Children

Children must be supervised at all times. Do not allow them to roam around the community centre building, corridors, car park, kitchen or back yard (Children can have accidents when out of site).

During your session, please remember that other people may use shared areas of the centre such as the kitchen, corridors and toilets. You, and those responsible for children during your session, are wholly responsible for ensuring the safety and welfare of children in attendance. In any area of the community, Stranger Danger is a possibility!

You will be expected to follow our Child Protection Policy if you do not have one in place.

18. Advertisements

• All advertisements or tickets must be approved by us. We suggest you contact us for advice before placing an order for such items.

• You may place an advertisement for your session, no bigger than an A4 sheet, on our notice board inside the community centre.

• Unless we have given permission, do not place advertisements on the exterior of the building.

• Adverts must be removed as soon as they become damaged or out of date.

• You must not advertise anything other than your session.

19. Compliance with HPCA requirements

Sometimes, we may give you extra terms and conditions in writing. These might be to prevent damage to the premises, to stop residents being disturbed or for any other reason. They may relate to more than one booking.

If you do not keep to our terms of hire, or any extra terms given in writing, we can:

• End your session early.

• Keep your bond and/or make additional charges to cover our costs.

• Stop you from using the centre in the future.

If this happens, we do not need to pay you any compensation.

20. Exclusion clause

We are not responsible or liable for:

• Any article brought onto or left at the premises.

• Theft, loss or damage to any vehicles parked in the car park.

21. Catering

A hot water boiler or kettle are available in the kitchen for your use.

We do not provide catering services - You will need to arrange these yourself if required.

We do not provide cutlery and crockery.

22. Car Parking

Use of the car park must be made while space allows. If the car park is full and you need to park on the road, vehicles should be parked in a considerate manner that will not inconvenience others. Do not obstruct driveways or block access to local roads. You must leave plenty of room for emergency vehicles, such as fire engines and ambulances, to get through.

You should instruct people attending your session about careful and considerate parking.

23. Agreement as Contractual only

The contract between us does not give you any rights of ownership or control over the property or its contents.