General Rules

GENERAL RULES GOVERNING THE USE OF THE COMMUNITY CENTRE  

The management of the Community Centre is vested in its Management Committee whose powers and composition are defined in its constitution, a copy of which may be obtained from the secretary.  Under the provisions of the constitution, the General Committee is empowered to make rules, or to withdraw or amend them.  Use of the Community Centre and its facilities is subject to the following rules and, in the case of hirers, to certain standard conditions incorporated in the hiring agreement. 

1. Equal Opportunities 

   • The Community Centre shall be open to all members of the community regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religious or political beliefs or marital status. 

2. Applying to Use the Centre 

   • Application for use of the Centre shall be made to the Secretary of the management committee. 

   • The right to refuse any application for the use of Centre facilities is reserved to the Committee, or the Secretary, provided that the Secretary reports his/her action to the next meeting of the Committee.  The Committee may refuse an application to use the Centre’s facilities if the use by a particular organisation or individual presents a risk of public disorder or of alienating the Committee’s beneficiaries or supporters. 

   • All arrangements for the use of Centre facilities are subject to the Committee reserving the right to cancel bookings when the premises may be required as part of the Local Authority’s Emergency plan, for maintenance work or as a polling station. 

   • The regular user groups of the centre shall normally, (but not exclusively) have priority of use but, every effort will be made to accommodate bookings requested by other organisations and individuals from within and outside the recognised area of benefit. 

3. Hours of Opening 

   • Facilities at the Community Centre are normally available for the use of its hirers between the hours of 9:00am and 11:00pm on weekdays and at weekends.  In exceptional cases, these hours may be extended on application to the General Committee. 

4. Capacity 

   • The Centre has a maximum capacity of 120 persons where tables and fixed seating is provided including helpers and performers), and 160 STANDING where no fixed seating is provided.  On no account shall these figures be exceeded. 

5. Safety Requirements 

   • The conditions attached to the granting of any necessary licences shall be strictly observed.  Nothing shall be done which will endanger the users of the building, and the policies of insurance relating to it and to its contents.  In particular: 

     1. obstructions must not be placed in gangways or exits, nor in front of emergency exits, which must be immediately available for free public egress; 

     2. the emergency lighting supply must be left activated during the whole time the premises are occupied, and must illuminate all exit signs and routes;    

     3. fire-fighting apparatus shall be kept in its proper place and only used for its intended purpose; 

     4. the Fire Brigade shall be called to any outbreak of fire, and details of the occurrence shall be given to the Secretary; 

     5. performances involving danger to the public shall not be given; 

     6. highly flammable substances shall not be brought into, or used, in any part of the premises.  No internal decorations of a combustible nature (eg polystyrene, cotton, etc) shall be undertaken or erected without the consent of the General Committee; 

     7. no unauthorised heating appliances shall be used on the premises; 

     8. details of any accident occurring during the hiring must be entered in the accident book provided. The Committee Secretary shall be informed of any accident or injury occurring on the premises; 

     9. all electrical equipment brought into the building shall comply with the Electricity at Work Regulations, 1989.  The Management Committee disclaims all responsibility for all claims and costs arising out of any such equipment that does not so comply. 

6. Supervision 

   • The hirer or person in charge of an activity shall not be under 18 years of age and shall be on the premises for the entire period of hire, or duration of the activity.  The person in charge shall not be engaged in any duties that prevent him/her from exercising general supervision. 

   • All persons in charge or on duty shall have been informed of the procedure for evacuation of the premises and shall be familiar with the fire-fighting equipment available.

7. Intoxicating Liquor

   • No intoxicating liquors are permitted to be bought, sold or consumed on any part of the premises without the consent of the Committee, prior to seeking any licence or notice for the sale of alcoholic liquor. 

8. Betting, Gaming and Lotteries 

   • Nothing shall be done on or in relation to the premises in contravention of the law relating to betting, gaming and lotteries, and the persons or organisations responsible for functions held in the Centre premises shall ensure that the requirements of the relevant legislation are strictly observed. 

9. Temporary Event Notices 

   • The Secretary must be informed if it is the hirer’s intention to apply for or use the centre for any purpose that will require a Temporary Event Notice. 

10. Recorded Music Licence 

    • It is the responsibility of any independent user group which uses recorded music in its activities to check if it requires a licence from Phonographic Performances Ltd (PPL) and, if so, to obtain one. 

11. Storage 

    • The permission of the Committee must be obtained before goods or equipment are left or stored at the Community Centre, except that the Secretary is authorised to grant permission for the overnight storage of goods and equipment brought to the Centre for a particular function or event at the hirer’s risk.  N.B. Only contents in the ownership of the committee are covered by the centre’s insurances. 

12. Loss of Property 

    • The Committee cannot accept responsibility for damage to, or the loss or theft of, Centre users’ property and effects. 

13. Car Parking 

    • Cars shall not be parked so as to cause an obstruction at the entrance to, or exists from, the Centre.  Where parking accommodation is provided and available, this must be used. 

14. Nuisance 

    • Litter shall not be left in or about the Centre premises. 

    • Except in the case of trained guide-dogs for the blind, dogs shall only be permitted on the Centre premises in connection with organised activities such as dog training or dog shows. 

    • Hirers and organisers of events in the Community Centre are responsible for ensuring that the noise level of their functions is not such as to interfere with other activities within the building nor to cause inconvenience for the occupiers of nearby houses and property. 

15. Cleaning and Security 

    • All use of Centre premises and facilities is subject to the users or hirers accepting responsibility for returning furniture and equipment to their original position, and for securing doors and windows of the premises as directed by the committee Secretary or Secretary or Caretaker.  All users shall also leave the premises and surrounds in a clean and tidy condition, as may be directed by the Committee Secretary 

    • the premises and surrounds in a clean and tidy condition, as may equipment to their original position, and for securing doors and windows of the premises as directed by the committee Secretary or Caretaker.  All users shall also leave the premises and surrounds in a clean and tidy condition, as may be directed by the Committee Secretary. pCaretaker.  All users shall also leave  the premises and surrounds in a clean and tidy condition, as may be directed by the Committee Secretary returning furniture and equipment to their original position, and for securing doors and windows of the premises as directed by the committee. 

16. Smoking 

    • It is against the law to smoke within  any part of the building or its grounds 

17. Bringing and using your own equipment 

    • Under no circumstances are you permitted to bring Kettle, Berko, Slush Machines etc onto the premises without prior authorisation