Hire our Venue
(St Andrew's Church)

Please note that our Venue Hire Policies are subject to change at any time.

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1. Classification of Bookings

To help us manage our community calendar, bookings are categorized as follows:

• One-Off Bookings: Apply to single, isolated events such as birthday parties, milestone family celebrations, community meetings, or concerts.

• Recurring Bookings: Apply to regular, ongoing activities running for a minimum of two academic terms (approximately 6 months), or full-week/full-day holiday camps. Examples include pre-schools, after-school clubs, weekly fitness or social groups, and monthly business meetings.

*Please note: The PCC reserves the right to prioritize Recurring Bookings if two separate requests compete for the exact same date and time.

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2. Eligibility for Discounted Rates

Discounted hire rates are strictly restricted to:

• Registered Charities (proof of charity number required).

• Not-for-profit community organizations (proof of non-profit status required).

• Regularly attending members of St Andrew's Church who are registered on our Electoral Roll and attend at least two services per month.

• Historical recurring tenants with contracts active as of October 2025.

 

3. Booking, Payments & Cancellations

To keep our administration efficient, we do not accept cash or cheque payments for hire fees.

• Securing a Date (Booking Deposit): A 50% non-refundable booking deposit may be required to secure your date. Your date will only be held on our calendar once this bank transfer has cleared.

• Balance Payment: The remaining 50% balance of your hire fee must be paid in full at least 14 days before your event. Bookings not fully paid by this deadline may be cancelled, and your deposit will be forfeited.

• Refundable Security Bond: In addition to your hire fee, a separate refundable Security Bond may be held. This will be returned to your bank account within 30 days after your event, provided the hall is left tidy, all rubbish is bagged, and no damage has occurred.

• Cancellation Refunds:

  • Cancellations 30+ days prior to the event: The remaining balance is waived, but the 50% booking deposit is retained.

  • Cancellations 14–29 days prior to the event: 50% of the total hire fee is refundable.

  • Cancellations 7–13 days prior to the event: 25% of the total hire fee is refundable.

  • Cancellations less than 48 hours prior to the event: All fees are strictly non-refundable.

• Venue Cancellation: If the church must cancel your booking due to an emergency, 100% of all fees paid (deposit + balance) will be fully refunded. The Church is not liable for any secondary or consequential costs resulting from a cancellation.

 

4. Event Support Fees & Capacity

All one-off bookings include a mandatory Event Support Fee. This flat-fee structure covers items such as administration, your On-Site Supervisor, and final deep-cleaning by our staff.

 

Capacity Limit: Our venue has a maximum capacity of 64 guests (we have exactly 64 chairs available). Exceeding this limit may breach local fire safety regulations.

 

Tier 1: Standard Support Fee

• Midweek (Mon–Fri before 6 PM): £65 | Evenings & Weekends: £95

• For: Low-impact community groups, meetings, classes, and quiet family or children's tea parties.

• Catering: Light refreshments, tea/coffee, or cold sandwiches only (no professional external catering or heavy church kitchen appliance use).

• Entertainment: Background music played via a small portable speaker (no live bands, professional DJs, or bouncy castles).

• What’s Included: Your supervisor opens up 10 minutes prior, provides a 20-minute layout orientation, and returns for the final 30 minutes of your booking. Our staff handle final hoovering, sanitizing, and restroom resetting.

 

Tier 2: Enhanced Support Fee

• Midweek (Mon–Fri before 6 PM): £90 | Evenings & Weekends: £120

• Best for: High-energy celebrations, milestone birthday parties, weddings, or bookings with complex setups.

• Catering: Full use of church kitchen appliances, external professional catering, hot food buffets, or alcohol service.

• Entertainment: Professional DJs, live musicians, amplifiers, immersive lighting setups, or children’s entertainers.

• What’s Included: All Standard Support, plus extended post-event floor mopping, commercial kitchen sanitation, and specialized deep cleaning by our staff.

 

5. Important Venue Rules & Conditions

• The Decoration & Wall Ban: To protect our buildings, under no circumstances should any items be attached to the walls, woodwork, windows, ceiling, floor, or fixtures using Blu-Tack, adhesive tape, command strips, drawing pins, nails, screws, or hooks. Speak to your booking coordinator or Event Support person to obtain approval if needed.  Any decoration must be fully removed at the end of your event.

• Noise Control & Our Neighbors: St Andrew’s is situated in a close residential community. No high-pitched noise makers, whistles, airhorns, or megaphones are permitted inside or outside the premises at any time. Music and general noise must be kept at a reasonable volume, and doors/windows must remain closed if amplified music is playing. Our On-Site Supervisor has the final word on volume control.

• Basic Tidying is Required: While our staff fully handle final hoovering and mopping, you are responsible for leaving the hall fundamentally tidy. Before leaving, you must sweep up any major floor spills, wipe down kitchen counters you used, and place all rubbish into the bins provided.

• Supervisors, Not Removalists: To keep our hire fees affordable, our supervisor is on-site to direct and support you, not to lift heavy furniture or assist with decorating. Hirers are fully responsible for clearing away their own decorations and returning all tables and chairs to their correct storage racks.

• The "Hard Out" Rule: Your contracted hire time must include your own setup and pack-down time. All guests, caterers, and vendors must vacate the building promptly at your booking's conclusion.

• Heating & Boiler: Do not touch or attempt to program any of the heating controls or the boiler itself. If the hall temperature requires adjustment, please notify your On-Site Supervisor.

 

6. Use of Premises

• Minimum Hire: One-off bookings require a minimum hire of 3 hours. Recurring bookings require a minimum of 2 hours.

• Public Holiday Surcharges: Daytime bookings attract a +25% surcharge. Evening bookings attract a +40% surcharge (with a minimum 5-hour booking required).

• Storage Space: Storage space on the premises is extremely limited. If your group requires storage, please speak directly to our booking coordinator to discuss options.

• Media Restrictions: Due to strict copyright laws and public broadcast licensing, the showing of commercial films, DVDs, or streaming television/internet broadcasts in the hall is strictly prohibited.

• General Prohibitions: Smoking and vaping are strictly prohibited anywhere inside the building or on church grounds. No unauthorized consumption or sale of alcohol is permitted. All doors and windows must be fully secured upon departure.

 

7. Insurance, Safety & Compliance

• All organized groups, commercial entities, and recurring hirers must submit copies of their Public Liability Insurance (£2,000,000 minimum cover), event risk assessments, and relevant safeguarding documents prior to booking approval.

• Any external third-party suppliers brought in (e.g., caterers, children's entertainers, mobile DJs) must provide proof of their own Public Liability Insurance for our records.  It is the hirers responsibility to obtain all required insurance records and provide them to the booking coordinator.

• Fire Safety Responsibilities: The Hirer is the designated "Responsible Person" for fire safety during the hire period. They must keep all escape routes and fire doors completely unobstructed, familiarize themselves with fire exit locations, and brief their guests on the emergency evacuation assembly point upon arrival.

 

8. Temporary Event Notices (TENs)

• St Andrew’s Church is limited to 15 Temporary Event Notices (TENs) per year by the local authority.

• Up to 10 TENs per year are available for hirers on a first-come, first-served basis.

• An event requires its own TEN if it involves the sale of alcohol or public entertainment. Note: Alcohol is legally considered "sold" if it is included in a ticket price, given in exchange for a mandatory "donation," or included in a cover charge—even if advertised as "free."

• If a TEN slot is available, the hirer must apply to Brighton & Hove City Council, pay the fee, and provide a copy of the council's acknowledgement to the church office prior to the event. This must also be clearly displayed at the venue during the event.

 

9. Safeguarding

• Hirers must fully comply with the Children Acts 1989 & 2004, the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, and St Andrew’s Church’s safeguarding policies.

• Keyholder Safeguarding Guard: To protect children and vulnerable groups, any PCC member, church keyholder, or maintenance staff may not access the hired spaces during a recurring tenant's operating hours (such as pre-school or youth group sessions) without prior agreement from the Hirer's management.

• Any safeguarding incidents, injuries, or concerns must be reported to the On-Site Supervisor or Church Safeguarding Officer immediately. The PCC reserves the right to terminate bookings immediately on safeguarding breaches.

 

10. Property & Damage

• Hirers are entirely responsible for their own personal property, equipment, and valuables. St Andrew's Church accepts no liability for theft, loss, or damage to items brought onto the premises.

• All breakages or damage to church property must be reported immediately to the On-Site Supervisor. Repair or replacement costs will be recovered from your security bond or billed via a supplementary invoice.

 

11. Equal Opportunities & Inclusion

St Andrew’s Church proudly promotes equal opportunities in alignment with the UK Equality Act 2010. Any form of discrimination, harassment, or exclusionary behavior on the basis of protected characteristics by a hirer or their guests is strictly prohibited and will result in the immediate termination of the booking.

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12. Use Restrictions & Church Doctrine

• No activities that directly contradict Christian scripture or the doctrines of the Church of England are permitted on the premises.

• Strictly Prohibited: Non-Christian religious worship, any activities containing non-Christian spiritualist elements (e.g., séances, divination, occult practices), Halloween-themed parties, or unauthorized/unlicensed marriage ceremonies.

• Certain event profiles (including specific adult parties, religious activities, or events involving high-volume alcohol consumption) may require formal approval from the Parochial Church Council (PCC) before a contract can be issued.

• Complaints & Review: Any complaints regarding venue hire will be processed via standard PCC policy. This document is reviewed biennially by the PCC.