Room Hire
Our Meeting House is a welcoming venue for small and medium-sized community groups and events. We have four rooms available for room hire so it will usually be the case that a room can be found for you.
The Meeting House is not staffed, so it is essential that hiring groups are self-managing and responsible. Once your room hire booking is confirmed you will be issued with an invoice, preferably by email.
Current room hire fees are:
Meeting Room £14 per hour; Lower Barn £12 per hour; Upper Barn £13 per hour; Library £12 per hour.
For booking, please complete our on-line booking form for room hire by scrolling to the bottom of this page after having read the conditions below. (When completing the form you may need to insert “Not applicable” into the boxes you don’t need, in order to be able to submit the form.)
Room Hire Facilities
Room hire includes availability of Wifi in all rooms. There’s a card with the details in each room.
All downstairs rooms are accessible to wheelchair users (except possibly the kitchen, depending on width). The Upper Barn is accessed via a staircase with handrail. There are two toilets, one of which is wheelchair accessible.
Heating is now controlled by individual thermostats on the radiators. The programme is set to match the schedule of bookings. If you find a room is too warm or too cool, the programme can be overridden by gently turning the radiator thermostat so that a red light shows (for warmer) or a blue light shows (for cooler). Supplementary fan heaters are provided for emergency use, though you may have to look in a different room to locate one.
Additional equipment included in Room Hire:
There are flipchart stands (provide your own pads). One is kept behind the curtain in the Meeting Room and the other behind the curtain in the Library.
Video monitor – you will need to provide your own laptop to use with this and may wish to check compatibility before your session. This is kept in a cupboard in the Lower Barn, so, unless your booking is in that room, please inform the Lettings Clerk so we can check that you won’t be interrupting another group when you collect it.
Digital projector – also kept in the cupboard in the Lower Barn. Please inform the Lettings Clerk if you wish to use it so we can check that you won’t be interrupting another group when you collect it.
Kitchen
The kitchen is available to all hirers and is equipped with kettles, an urn, a mini oven/grill, a microwave and lots of crockery and cutlery (but no pots and pans). Any foods kept there belong to specific groups so, unless you have an arrangement about storing supplies, you need to bring your own. Please leave everything clean and fit for the next user. Food or milk left in the fridge will be thrown away unless clearly labelled with the name of the group and date of proposed use.
Meeting Room
This is the room used for the Quaker Meeting. It seats up to 35 in rows, or 32 with tables. There is a fully installed hearing loop. There are blackout blinds on the windows and a retractable projection screen. The audiovisual equipment in this room is for Quaker use only and must not be adjusted in any way.
Library
Seats 12 at tables or 15 in rows.
Lower Barn
Seats 24 at tables or 30 in rows.
Has blackout on the windows, a retractable projection screen, and a large whiteboard on one wall.
Upper Barn
This room is accessed by a flight of stairs.
It offers a large open space or could seat 25 in rows. It is popular for yoga classes.
Conditions of room hire
We allow a 15-minute change over period at the beginning and end of your booked time. If you need more than 15 minutes please include it in your booked time.
The room hire fee allows use of the room hired and use of the Kitchen. If you wish to also use another room, you will need to include this in your booking.
Please be considerate of other groups’ needs and avoid disturbance.
Please bear in mind that the Meeting House is run by volunteers and your hiring enquiries and invoices will be handled as soon as possible, usually within a week.
You will need to arrange your own furniture as the Meeting House is unstaffed. If you need more furniture than is in the room, contact the Lettings Clerk for guidance as to where to find it. If you do rearrange furniture, please return it to how you found it.
Audio-visual equipment in the Meeting Room is for Quaker use only and must not be adjusted in any way. There is a screen available for hirers’ use, by arrangement, which is kept in the cupboard in the Lower Barn.
When the person booking on behalf of a group confirms a booking we understand that that person is agreeing to be responsible for:
1. Security of the building; ensuring all lights and any electrical heaters are switched off, internal doors closed, windows closed and external doors locked on leaving.
2. Leaving the Meeting House clean and tidy. There is a dustpan and brush under the sink in the Kitchen and a vacuum cleaner is in the cupboard in the Disabled Toilet to clean crumbs etc. Please take particular care with food and drinks.
3. Making users aware of fire exits and fire safety procedures. In case of fire, all users should assemble on the other side of Bridge Street (not in the courtyard).
4. Ensuring that you have a safeguarding policy if your organisation runs activities on the premises which involve children, young people or vulnerable adults and that you have appropriate insurance to cover your activities and are willing to show this on request.
5. Smoking or drinking alcohol is not permitted on the premises, including the courtyard.
6. No candles or live flames may be used.
7. Permission should be obtained before any promotional literature is left in the room or pinned on notice boards.
8. In case of emergency please call the Lettings Clerk on 07597 576554