Conditions of Hire

By making a booking of the Almondsbury Old School Hall (OSH) you are accepting the following conditions of hire. If you have any questions about these conditions, you may contact the OSH Committee here

COVID-19: Please see additional conditions of hire here

The full conditions of hire can be found below but in summary to allow us to refund your deposit please ensure the following:

  • Room swept and tidy
  • Nothing stuck to the walls
  • Tables wiped clean and returned to their storage area; chairs to be stacked in 5’s and returned to their storage area
  • Kitchen (if used) clean and tidy, everything washed and put away
  • Toilets clean and tidy
  • Rubbish bins emptied, rubbish and recyclables removed
  • Breakages or damages reported
  • Lights off, hall locked and keys back in keysafe

Thank you – have a safe and enjoyable event!

  1. Agreement to hire the Hall will be confirmed by the Booking Secretary within 48hrs of receipt of booking request. £50 refundable deposit is due once the booking is confirmed. Payment for FULL HIRE FEE to be paid ONE MONTH before your event. Preferred method of payment is by bank transfer (details in the confirmation email).
  2. The booking includes use of the kitchen only if you book the Main Hall
  3. The deposit will be returned to the hirer if no damage to the hall, its surrounds and contents is occasioned during the hiring and that the premises and its surrounds and contents are left in a clean and tidy condition. The requirement for a deposit may be waived by agreement with the committee.
  4. The Committee may, at their discretion, agree to provide deferred payment facilities to frequent hirers. In these circumstances, monthly invoices will be provided and prompt payment will be required each month for the prior month’s hiring unless an alternate arrangement has been agreed in advance.
  5. During the period of hiring the hirer is responsible for the supervision, care and safety from damage however slight, or change of any sort to the premises, their fabric and contents, and the behaviour of all persons using the premises whatever their capacity, including proper supervision of car parking arrangements to avoid obstruction of the highway. The hirer hereby indemnifies the Committee for the cost of repairing any damage caused to any part of the property, their fabric and contents, and adjacent area in ownership of the Committee or the contents of the building during the period of hiring.
  6. The hirer shall not sub-let, use or permit use of any part of the premises for any unlawful purpose or in any unlawful way, nor do anything nor bring on to the premises anything which may endanger the same or any insurance policies in respect thereof.
  7. The hirer shall be responsible for obtaining licences that may be needed for sale of intoxicating liquor or public performances of stage plays from the Local Authority (South Gloucestershire County Council) and for the observance of the same and for all other regulations appertaining to the premises as stipulated by the Fire Authority and the Local Authority. Free and unhindered admission shall always be given to officers of the above authorities.
  8. No alcohol may be consumed upon the premises the subject of this hiring other than:
    – Alcoholic beverages provided by the hirer at the hirer’s expense
    – Alcoholic beverages sold by or on behalf of the hirer to persons permitted by law to purchase alcohol pursuant to and in accordance with the Licensing Act 2003 (as amended).
    – Alcoholic beverages brought by the hirer’s guests or attendees at their own expense
  9. The hirer hereby notes that under the terms of the South Gloucestershire Council license the premises must be vacated by 11.30pm and is responsible for ensuring that the level of noise emanating from the Hall and immediately outside the premises is not such that it unreasonably disturbs neighbouring residents.
  10. At the end of the hiring the hirer is responsible for ensuring that any contents temporarily removed are properly replaced, chairs stacked, tables clean and returned to cupboards, and that all windows are securely fastened, heating, cooking, electrical appliances and lighting are switched off, and candles extinguished, and doors locked before leaving the premises and returning the keys to the key box.
  11. The hirer is responsible for the removal of all rubbish from the hall. The committee encourages the hirer to recycle as much waste as possible.
  12. The Committee does not accept responsibility for injury sustained by any person or persons, or for loss or damage to personal property including motor vehicles and/or contents therein. The Public Liability Section of the Policy of Insurance held by the Committee has been extended to include cover for all Non-Commercial Hirers of the Hall, the cover in respect of Non-Commercial Hirers applies whilst the Non-Commercial Hirers are in the hall premises only. Commercial Hirers of the Hall must have their own Public Liability insurance in force. An Information Sheet is available on request. it is the responsibility of all hirers to ensure that they have adequate insurance arrangements in place to cover all their responsibilities including Public Liability risks.
  13. The Committee reserves the right to refuse any application for use of the Hall premises and its officers always retain the right of entry.
  14. The hirer shall not use, or permit to be used on the premises, any electrical appliance for supplementary heating, nor any appliance for heating or cooking other than portable electrical equipment. For example: an electrical slow cooker would be permitted, but a spirit heated fondue or a gas or charcoal barbeque would not.
  15. The hirer shall not use, or permit to be used, anything that produces a naked flame or any pyrotechnic such as fire-works (indoor or otherwise). The only exception is candles which must be fully enclosed within a gazed or partially glazed holder unless temporarily lit upon a foodstuff (eg Cake Candles) or otherwise with the express permission of the committee, and may not be left unattended at any time.
  16. The Committee reserves the right to cancel this hiring in the event of the Hall being required for use as a Polling Station for Parliamentary or Local Government elections, in which case the hirer shall be entitled to a refund of any hiring fees or deposit already paid.