By hiring a facility with us, you agree to follow our Hire Agreements.
Please ensure that you have read the following information so that you are clear on our terms.

Conditions of Hire

1) Payment - one-off hires and regular hires

a) Payment of a non-refundable deposit and a hire fee is required for all bookings.

b) The booking will not be confirmed until the deposit payment has been received.

c) Payments (for deposit and hire fees) must be received by us:

i) No later than 14 days before the date of the event if paid in cash or by BACS transfer
or
ii) No later than 21 days before the date of the event if paid by cheque.

d) If your booking is made at short notice (within 1 days of the event) we will require payment in cash.

e) If you are a regular hirer, we may set you up on a monthly invoice system. This will have a two week payment term.

2) Retention of Deposits

a) We may retain all or part of your deposit if we suffer losses or damage for which you are responsible. If our losses exceed the amount of your deposit, we may demand additional compensation.

b) We may retain all or part of your deposit if you fail to return our keys within a reasonable time.

3) Cancellation

a) Cancellations should be notified to us at least 28 days in advance. If less than 28 days' notice of cancellation is given, any refund is entirely at the discretion of the management committee.

b) We reserve the right to cancel any booking to carry out essential repairs or maintenance; in this event, any payments will be refunded.

4) Liability for Loss or Damage

a) You are responsible for any loss or damage suffered by the Genesis Centre as a consequence of your activities as a hirer. This includes (but is not restricted to) damage to the premises, garden, fixtures, fittings, furniture and equipment, call-out fees for false fire alarms, and loss of income.

b) You are responsible for the actions of people you admit to the centre as part of your booking, or who gain access to the centre because you fail to control access properly.

5) Keys - if issued

a) Keys must be collected before the activity begins, ideally in the previous week. It is your responsibility to contact the office and arrange to collect the keys. You will also require and access code for the entrance system. You must keep this code confidential.

b) Keys must be returned as agreed after the end of the activity.

6) Fire Precautions

a) You must read and comply with the fire notices posted throughout the building. A copy of the standard notice will be supplied to you on request. You should familiarise yourself with the fire alarm points in each room, the location of extinguishers and the available escape routes.

b) You must not prop any fire doors open, obstruct any fire doors or escape routes, damage any fire safety equipment, cause any dangerous accumulations of combustible materials to occur, or do anything likely to cause a fire risk.

c) In the event of a fire, your primary responsibility is to ensure the rapid and safe evacuation of the building.

d) If you know that a false alarm has been raised (for example, because a member of your group has accidentally triggered the alarm) you may cancel it by following the instructions you received at induction by using the alarm panel in the front lobby You should only do this if you are certain that there is no fire.

e) You must contact us using one of the emergency numbers on the fire notices if there has been a fire alarm, even if it was a false alarm (the building may not be properly protected until we have completely reset the system).

f) You must inform the office of any of the fire extinguishers has been used, whether deliberately or accidentally.

7) Security

a) You must not copy any keys loaned to you, nor pass on the door code to anyone else without our agreement.

b) When you leave, you must check that all members of your group have left the building and close and lock all doors behind you.

8) Alcohol

a) We can not permit the sale or provision of alcohol on-site at all. You and your users must adhere to this.

9) Drugs

a) You must not allow illegal drugs on the premises.

10) Noise

a) All bookings must end by 10pm. You must ensure that members of your group leave the premises quietly in the evening.

b) You must ensure that the fire escape doors are not left open. Animated conversation can be loud enough to cause a nuisance to neighbours in the evening. Please ensure you are considerate.

11) Heating

a) Do not adjust the thermostat without discussing it with the Manager first.

12) Garden

a) The garden is an escape route from the building. You must not obstruct any fire escape routes with vehicles or any other obstructions.

b) You must not let off fireworks or operate a barbecue in the garden.

13) Parking and Vehicle Access

a) Parking is limited. You must exercise extreme care when manoeuvring in this limited space, as the members of the public often walk through.

14) Smoking

a) It is illegal to smoke in the building. It is a condition of hire that members of your group do not smoke by the front door. Smokers must go round the back.

15) Your Equipment and Decorations

a) You must obtain our agreement in advance if you intend to introduce any materials or equipment into the premises (including the garden) that might introduce a safety hazard, cleaning problems or inconvenience to other users; for example straw, hay, sawdust, flammable drapes, glues, paints or cooking equipment. We may refuse permission to introduce these items or impose additional conditions on your hire to mitigate hazards.

b) Smoke machines trigger our fire alarm system. You must not use smoke machines in the premises.

c) If you intend to introduce decorations or signs into the building, they must be in the designated places and removed at the end of your session. An A4 poster may be displayed by regular hirers on the Main board. Please hand your poster to the centre manager.

d) You may attach decorations to the hook fittings that you will find about 2 metres above floor level around the walls and you must remove them at the end of your booking.

e) You must not use permanent or semi-permanent fittings, for example nails, screws and staples. You must not use drawing pins for any purposes – they are easily lost and are dangerous to small children.

f) You must not attach anything to electrical wires, gas or water pipes, or electric, gas or water fittings.

16) Insurance

a) The centre is insured for Y Services for Young People’s public liabilities. You may inspect our certificate of insurance on request.

b) We do not insure our users against risks resulting from the activities they undertake – it is your responsibility to insure against these risks. We reserve the right to see your insurance and ask all regular hirers to leave us a copy of their public liability insurance.

17) Health & Safety and Safeguarding

a) Y Services look after the 'Health and Safety' of the building, if you have any thoughts or observations please note these in the communication book. Any serious 'Health and Safety' concerns must be reported immediately to the centre manager in person or on the emergency phone number you have been given.

b) You must ensure that your activities, levels or supervision, working practices and equipment comply with current health and safety legislation and guidance.

c) You must take reasonable care at all times for the safety of yourself and all others who might be affected by your actions. The Genesis Centre is a multi-user facility and you must ensure you and your users are aware of this and take appropriate actions to ensure safety; ie all children must be accompanied to the toilets; buggies must be in your hired space and not block fire doors, exits or shared space.

18) Accidents

a) All accidents or near-accidents must be notified to the office so that we can try to prevent any re-occurrence.

b) There is a first-aid box in the kitchen. You must notify the office if you use any supplies so that we can re-stock.

c) If there is no member of staff available, you should leave comments in the communications book in the drawer in the kitchen.

19) Afterwards

a) Furniture

i) After use, furniture must be returned to its proper place. If you have used furniture from another room, it must be returned to its proper place in that room.

ii) You must observe any notices regarding the placement of furniture and how it should be stacked.

b) Cleaning and Tidying

i) We clean the building every weekday morning. You must ensure that the rooms you have used are left clean enough for the next hirer.

ii) Floors should be swept (and mopped if there were any spillages). Brooms, mops, buckets, dustpans, etc are kept in the kitchen.

iii) All rubbish must be taken away, or put in the industrial bin around back. You must not pile rubbish up by the bin.

iv) You must check the toilets and clean them if necessary.

v) If we have allowed you to store equipment on the premises, you must ensure that it is stored safely and tidily so that it does not constitute a fire risk or any other hazard to anyone. You must remove stored equipment promptly when required to do so. Your invoice will include this charge.

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