Terms and conditions

Terms and Conditions for using our Sheltered Housing community centres.

May 2025

Overview

Sheltered housing community centres are available to be used by sheltered housing residents and the wider vulnerable community.  The majority of activities will be open to sheltered housing residents to join in. 

When the sheltered housing residents are not using the community centres they will be available for booking by other local community groups, charities, professionals who will need to pay for the facilities.

Below are the Terms and Conditions for hiring or using the community centres to ensure that all bookings are recorded to avoid rooms being double booked, to monitor health and safety and to ensure payments for use are received as appropriate.

Hiring Fees:

The following will be used to determine what fee should be charged for hiring out the community centres.

Commercial Rate - Businesses using the hall for business purposes.

Community Rate / Day Centre Rate - for Groups using centre to raise money or for meetings for groups or for Day centres providing services and charging.

Community Rate / Day Centre Rate for long term and regular users - for Groups using centre to raise money for groups or for Day centres providing services and charging - who have been using centres regularly for the past 2 years, and also for tenants to use for private hire.

Charity Rate / Regular Commercial users - For charities to help those in the community and for commercial users who have regular bookings over a period and will continue to use the centres on a regular basis.

Hire rates for guest rooms and community centres 25/26

• Residents, resident committees, individuals for clubs or any activities - which all of residents are invited, there will be no charge to the hirer. All residents should be notified of the event so they can attend if they wish.
• Outside Charity group, - i.e. Blind Society, Age UK where residents are invited and may attend but not all residents are invited then the hirer will be charged at the charity rate.
• Outside group - for private use and no residents are to be invited i.e a meeting, private party, function, then the hirer will be charged the full hire rate. (Commercial)
• Resident - for a private event such as a party / wedding/ funeral and all residents who live on site are to be invited, then there will be no charge.
• Resident - for a private event such as a party / wedding / funeral and less than 50% of residents will be invited then the hirer will be charged the charity rate.
• Professionals - ie NHS, ASC etc charged at the commercial rate
• Community Groups / Day centres -providing activities for groups and charging them for attendancecharged charity rate

Conditions of use

1. Bookings- All applications to hire a community room must be made via the booking form / on-line system and, where requested, a risk assessment completed and signed.
2. Age restrictions- Bookings must be made by an adult over the age of 18 and any bookings that involve young people, an adult must be present and responsible for those people
3. Hiring fees - You will be directed to a payment system once booking has been confirmed (if required) Your booking is not secure until any hire fee has been paid.
4. Invoicing -invoice details will be taken when you book the community centre if you do not have the ability to pay on-line and you will be informed of any charges. Your booking is not secure until any hire fee has been paid.
5. Charges - For some activities, charges will not apply if it is open to all the residents on the scheme. The charge includes the cost of lighting, heating and the use of the kitchen and bathroom facilities.
6. Security - If using key safe codes please ensure they are only used by the organiser and not given to anyone else. During the activity, the keys should be stored back in the key safe.
7. Electrical Equipment - No personal electrical equipment is to be used on the scheme unless prior permission is obtained from South Holland District Council.
8. Fire - The hirer is responsible to familarise themselves and any other attendees of their event with the fire safety equipment and where all fire exits are so they are able to inform the customers at the session. Fire exits doors should not be propped open and should be closed at all times.
9. Health and Safety - The hirer shall be responsible for ensuring that all entrances to the community rooms are kept clear for the emergency services to reach the building. Under no circumstances are fire exits to be blocked.
10. Walls - No decoration of any description shall be affixed to the walls or woodwork except with the prior approval of Independent Living Team
11. Parking - Please ask that all those attending respect the resident parking. If there is a car park at the community centre this can be used by attendees, but please be aware of access for emergency vehicles and allow room for those residents living near the community centre space to park outside their homes.
12. Smoking and vaping - is prohibited in all inside areas of the schemes.
13. Equipment - Any hall equipment to be returned to its original state and location at the end of a session i.e. tables, chairs etc.
14. Refreshments / equipment - The hirer should provide their own refreshments, unless SHDC has made prior arrangements. Activities involving serving food (more than tea and biscuits) the caterers must hold the appropriate food hygiene qualification and take responsibility for food safety regulations.
15. Tidiness - If the kitchen is used, please leave it clean and tidy.
16. Damage - The hirer will be responsible for any damage or breakages and will be charged the reasonable cost of repair or replacement as determined by South Holland District Council.
17. Hirers Equipment - Any equipment brought into the community room for use in connection with the booking must be removed once the booking has ended unless an arrangement has been made with the Independent Living Team
18. Attendance - The hirer will be made aware of the maximum number of people permitted on the premises at the time of booking, this should not be exceeded. For bookings that have not been charged, due to tenants being invited, it will be the tenants who should get first opportunity to attend the events.
19. Cancellations - SHDC - South Holland District Council reserves the right to cancel any hirer/lettings subject only to the return of the fees paid and to no other claim.
20. Cancellations - Hirer - Fees to hire a room must be paid unless 24 hours' notice is given to cancel a booking.
21. End of hire - The hirer shall be responsible for seeing that all who have attended leave the premises at the conclusion of the letting period, leaving in a respectful manner so as not to disturb tenants living nearby.
22. Closing the Centre - The hirer to ensure any electrical equipment and lights are turned off, doors and windows closed and no taps are left running at the end of the session and doors locked (where applicable).
23. Accidents - any accidents that take place at the community centre must be reported to the Independent Living Team as soon as possible on 01775 764888 giving details of time, what happened and who to contact regarding the accident.
24. Any breach of these booking conditions will result in further bookings being refused