Common Questions

Hire depends on when you're wanting to book and for how long for. You can browse our hire packages here: https://www.villagehallstanton.com/new-bookings (For regular/weekly hire see the Regular Hire FAQ section)

Since we're volunteer run and managed we're trying to let technology do the hard work. You can book using our online system which will let you find a package right for you, find a time and pay online. Head to https://www.villagehallstanton.com/new-bookings to get started. If your date isn't offered then it's most likely that it's already booked.

Our cancellation policy is found in our terms and states: Cancellations more than 30 days in advance: Full refund of hire fee and deposit less a £5 service charge. Or you can reschedule to another date at no cost. Cancellations 15-30 days in advance: 75% hire fee and full deposit returned. Cancellations 2-14 days in advance: 50% hire fee and full deposit returned. Cancellations less than 2 days in advance: 0% hire fee refunded and full deposit returned. In short, you'll have your damages deposit returned. Your hire fee will be lost in whole or part depending how soon before the event you cancel.

This may depend on the terms of your Temporary Events Notice. There is more about what a temporary events notice means and why it is needed here: https://www.villagehallstanton.com/post/licensable-activity However, in any case, noise should stop at 11pm with guests leaving by 11.30pm. We are set in a residential area and respect our neighbours. Remember - it's important you clean fully or your damages deposit is at risk. It may be possible to book time the morning after your booking to finish cleaning and tidying.

There's more in our terms and conditions so make sure you check those. The odd broken teacup isn't going to lose you your deposit but we have had instances where tables have been stolen and doors and walls have been badly damaged (even punched!). We're a charity run mostly by volunteers and this is obviously simply not on. After you're done with your hire session, we'll inspect the buildings and grounds to make sure it's clean tidy and there's no damage. As long as everything is ok, we'll then process your refund within 48 hours by the method it was paid. If there is any significant damage then we'll assess the extent of this and we may need to get quotes to put things right - this might exceed your damages deposit and we will invoice you for the cost of putting right. If we believe it to be criminal damage then we will not hesitate to involve the Police. Remember, the lead hirer is responsible for all attendees.

Our online booking system takes payment via credit/debit card (Stripe processes this) or PayPal. PayPal allows payment by Paypal account holders as well as guests (via debit/credit card). Unfortunately, we do not handle cash.

Evenings tend to be a little more risky for us - louder and often with alcohol involved. We've certainly suffered more abuse and damage from evening events! We find the smell of alcohol lingers for instance and we need to air the hall the next morning meaning we can't book a daytime party in first thing the morning after. Also, we're asking more of our helpers with such parties. If you're booking an evening event and alcohol and loud music won't be involved then please contact us to explore a discount.

For daytime functions we open and lock up for you at the start and end times booked. If you have booked with Abi's Entertainments then they will open and lock up for you. In the case of weekend long hire and evening where you'll clean the next day we'll leave you with a keyset.

Yes. This is absolutely essential. We run Stanton Village Hall on a 'leave it as you found it basis'. As a minimum, we'd expect you to have wiped all surfaces, spot cleaned any spills anywhere, swept up all debris, checked toilets are flushed and there's no litter/rubbish/other mess left, put chairs and tables away, and checked the car park for any rubbish your hirers may have left (plastic cups, balloons etc).

Function hirers: You're welcome to leave one normal black bin bag's worth of rubbish in our outside bin but all other rubbish should be taken away with you. You can also sort and place clean recyclable plastics or glass into our green recycling bin. £5 per additional bag will be taken from your damages deposit if additional bags are left. Help us by letting us know if you intend to leave more. Unfortunately, we've had to add this bag penalty as some hirers have used our entire fortnightly rubbish capacity in one party!!! All hirers: You must leave the Hall clean and tidy and just as you found it.

Unlike some halls we do allow this but strictly NOT on our external doors or wall paint (the emulsion) as our paint does peel with them (which could risk your damages deposit). We also ask that you clean any sticky residue so we're not left with marks. We're keeping this under review as want to keep the hall nice. We're also looking at placing more hanging hooks for bunting and string hung decorations. There are ceiling hooks but they require a ladder and safe use of the ladders.

There are manual fire bells in the foyer and main hall. Fire exits include the front entrance door and the double emergency doors in the Main Hall. There are fire extinguishers in the cafe area, the kitchen, by the double emergency doors and in the foyer. There is a fire blanket in the kitchen next to the door. There is a medium sized first aid kit in the bottom drawer next to the cooker. You must notify the Bookings Secretary if items are used so these can be replenished. The defibrillator outside can only be deployed by the ambulance service - they will provide you with a code if they believe it is needed. The height barrier is removable for emergency crews to enter the car park and more details of how to open the barrier will be given at the start of your hire. In case of an emergency, assemble at the farthest point in the car park near to the pedestrian exit in the direction of the school.

Yes. A small castle will fit. Abi's Entertainments are aware of the best size and if you use them we'll provide a £5 discount off your hire. We offer this since Abi's are trusted keyholders and help us to open and close the hall for you. You can claim this discount by using code ' USINGABIS ' on the bookings checkout (can't be redeemed with other offers). This code MUST NOT be used if you do not use Abi's as there'll be no other arrangements made for the hall to be opened up when this code is activated for your booking. https://www.abis-entertainments.co.uk (If you go on not to use Abi's then you must let us know with more than 3 weeks notice so we can arrange alternative access to the hall for you. We'll also retain £5 of your deposit to cover the discount no longer being valid to the booking (if your deposit is being returned in line with our terms and conditions).

We're not alone and many Halls don't. We've had far too many bad experiences than good unfortunately. We'd love for this not to be the case but it is.

Yes. There is fold down baby changing unit in the disable bathroom.

No we don't. There used to be one but it just wasn't getting used and so we've created an additional seating area that can be enjoyed by all. There are so many innovative pop up bar offerings now you might want to explore. Where alcohol will be sold the seller must have a personal license and you'll need a Temporary Events Notice for your event. https://www.villagehallstanton.com/post/licensable-activity Music must stop by 11pm to respect our neighbours.

Bring your own is fine. If you intend to sell alcohol then you will need to gain a Temporary Events Notice for your event and ensure all licensing rules are adhered to. We recently wrote more about this here: https://www.villagehallstanton.com/post/licensable-activity

We're incredibly busy with fitness, wellbeing, arts and sports classes during the week. It's unlikely there'll be space but please do contact us bookings@villagehallstanton.com to enquire. We don't run our online booking system to cover mid-week bookings and we may have to think about whether there are any volunteers free (they have day jobs) to manage your access.

We try to be family friendly and so we do allow well-behaved dogs in the hall - but please act like you would in a dog-friendly cafe or restaurant. We insist you provide your own additional cleaning equipment for any accidents and that these are cleaned properly and any damage is reported. The lead hirer is responsible for everyones safety and this should be considered.

Whilst you're using the Hall it's free. Non-hall users must check for parking terms and fees. Parking is for hall users only on weekends.

We can accommodate a viewing at a cost of £7.50 to cover the cost of a paid helper to attend. Unfortunately, we're no longer able to run this at no cost due to increasing demand on our volunteers to attend several viewings each week. Alternatively, check our website to see whether various videos and photos help. To book: Email bookings@villagehallstanton.com Or why not support one of our classes held at the hall by attending a session and having a nosey ;) https://www.villagehallstanton.com/calendar

We do review our prices regularly (as well as each August/September) taking into account the cost of running the Hall over previous years. If you've already booked then your price is locked in and won't rise. We did have a major price rise in 2019 and 2021 after prices had been held for many years. This took into account that the hall was costing us more per hour to run than we were making per hour. We've also tried hard to reduce costs by putting in more volunteer effort and shifting to more LED lighting and more efficient heating.

Don't worry we'll try and put this aside for you to collect. Please don't ring us at 2am like some people have done though! Email us at bookings@villagehallstanton.com to arrange.

Don't worry. Our system is a computer and it needs to calculate how long to block the hall for. Take an evening hire for instance - whilst your party might only take up 5 hours on the evening we've your morning cleanup time to think about so the system thinks your session lasts all night to stop someone else booking first thing in the morning (you're unfortunately not allowed to party all night because of licensing rules!)

Unfortunately not. Our building isn't setup for this with aspects such as required fire detection not in place.

Please bring your own milk, tea and coffee etc. We also have a Tassimo machine so feel free to bring your own coffee pods. We do have some teabags and instant coffee available with a recommended 30p per cup into our honesty jar.

When you start your hire we will setup a recurring payment with you for the monthly amount that takes into account your planned use and holidays over the next months (i.e. we'll take your planned use over the 6 months and divide it by 6). You'll receive an invoice on the last day of each month with payment due within 7 days.

Check out our Regular Hire page for more details. https://www.villagehallstanton.com/regularhire

We provide regular hirers with their own keyset. We ask that you only use these to access the hall at the times you book and pay for to avoid disrupting others or raising any security concerns. Your damages deposit is held against your keyset. If you leave us then we'll expect these keys back before your deposit is returned.

Yes - we have a What's On section on our website and we can share posts via Facebook.

If you're welcoming others to your sessions then you're responsible for their safety. Public liability is recommended and your professional body can usually advise on this. You can email proof of your insurance to us at bookings@villagehallstanton.com

There are some storage opportunities. We are not responsible for any loss or damage to items left. There may be a charge for storage.

We operate a 'leave it as your found it' policy. We expect all touch points your users (including spectators) have used to be wiped (cleaning materials in kitchen). Any litter such as used bottles or wrappers should be cleared away - a sweep of the floor is likely to be needed if there's other debris (or you can set the robo vacuum off by pressing its power button). Please also check bathrooms - sports and longer sessions often result in your users leaving bottles and other rubbish there.

We hold a £50 damages deposit on file for the duration of your regular hire with us. This also acts as a key security. On agreeing to use the hall regularly we'll issue you with an invoice for this deposit. This must be paid before you receive your keys. Please do let us know if any damage is caused during your hire - smashed lights have been a main one! We'll discuss whether this is taken from your deposit or whether you want to help us sort this separately. We may also take from this deposit if you leave the Hall in a dirty state. At the end of your time with us as a regular hirer and on receiving the keys back we'll return your deposit (less any damage taken from this over the duration of our hire relationship).

Let's have a chat. We may be able to offer a discount, advice or help with where to get funding. Our insurance may also be able to extend to your activities. We're particularly interested in opportunities to fundraise for the Hall too (we're a charity) so if you're idea might help us too then even better.

It's more than likely and depends on your risk assessment for the activity your undertaking. Our first aider isn't for your use as you're just hiring the space from us.

We do have some hirers on other frequencies but we do need to be mindful that this leaves some weeks without income (for instance if you take a slot fornightly we have a week not in use that we may struggle to hire). To be counted as a regular you need to hire for at least 4 hours a month. Do get in touch to discuss further. bookings@villagehallstanton.com

We'd love to fill some gaps that've been left. We'd also interested in resuming a fundraising bingo evening we used to run. We've not the resources to run this ourselves so a partnership with another could be worth exploring. More to appeal to young people and support them with the best opportunities would be great too.

Unfortunately not. We've held your session time just for you which means we've lost other potential hire revenue from that slot. We can discuss amending your regular slot to shorter times.

We review rates each August/September but it may take us longer to implement these within the year. You'll be provided with 30 days notice of rate changes.

Our kitchen includes fridge, microwave, hob, 2 kettles, a Tassimo machine. You'll have use of cups and saucers if you need. You'll need to bring other items with you such as cutlery, plates, glasses/drinking cups, tea, coffee and milk. There are some tea towels (which like to wander) and plenty of washing up liquid but bringing your own tea towels can be useful.

There are manual fire bells in the foyer and main hall. Fire exits include the front entrance door and the double emergency doors in the Main Hall. There are fire extinguishers in the cafe area, the kitchen, by the double emergency doors and in the foyer. There is a fire blanket in the kitchen next to the door. There is a medium sized first aid kit in the bottom drawer next to the cooker. You must notify the Bookings Secretary if items are used so these can be replenished. The defibrillator outside can only be deployed by the ambulance service - they will provide you with a code if they believe it is needed. The height barrier is removable for emergency crews to enter the car park and more details of how to open the barrier will be given at the start of your hire. In case of an emergency, assemble at the farthest point in the car park near to the pedestrian exit in the direction of the school.

Yes. There is fold down baby changing unit in the disable bathroom.

There are good public transport links as well as a generous car park. There's a bus stop about 10 metres away. Our address is Stanton Village Hall, Woodland Road, Stanton, DE15 9TJ (we're next to the school and opposite Woodland Motors).

Stanton Village Hall, Woodland Road, Stanton, DE15 9TJ. We're next to the primary school.

The main hall floor (not inc stage and seating at side areas) is 6.35m x 14.5m.

Yes. We've approximately 16 x 6 ft tables and 9 x 3 ft tables. We also have tables setup in the wings of the hall (three circular and 2 hexagonal).

We have 23 car parking spaces (but 2 are allocated to neighbours who pay us to use those). There are 21 available for your use.

Our former bar area has been turned into an additional seating area that's served from the kitchen hatch. This can work well as a seperate eating earlier or a quieter zone. It also has a television (not for use to play tv channels or usual tv license activity) which can be used to play presentations via hdmi link.

We've tried to keep things neutral with taupe walls last painted in 2020. We've brick pillars surrounding the main hall. We hope this provides a neutral backdrop for your function. We've a solid sprung dancefloor made from pinewood. This is quite weathered and we will need to explore getting it renovated in coming years but at a cost of £2500 is something .

Our insurance policy does cover hirers liability but there are certain stipulations and exclusions. See details here: https://www.villagehallinsurance.co.uk/hirers-1 https://www.villagehallinsurance.co.uk/hirer-docs Key points at Sept 2021 include: The hirer are a charity or non-commercial organisation The hirer does not carry out any activities at venues other than your premises The hirer does not make any profit from their meetings other than that reinvested back into the club or for charitable purposes The hirer does not have any paid employees The hirer does not carry out any excluded activities as listed on endorsement 215 - a copy of which can be found in your policy booklet (see links above). The following extract (correct at Sept 2021) might also be useful: "Hirers’ Liability extends your Public Liability insurance to provide cover for any non profit-making hirers of your premises. This is provided at an indemnity limit of £5million. A non profit-making hirer is any club or society that does not make money out of their operation. They may take money providing that this is invested back into the club.If any hirer does not comply then they would need to arrange their own Public Liability insurance to cover their activities.Commercial organisations require separate cover for their business activities. So if, for example, a keep-fit instructor who visited several community buildings in the area held a class at your premises they would be expected to arrange their own Public Liability insurance as this would be deemed a commercial activity. This would also apply to events such as furniture sales. If any national organisations such as the scouts hire the premises they would also be expected to hold their own liability cover.Any private events such as parties or weddings which are held at your premises would be automatically covered, as well as individuals fundraising on behalf of a Charity.This would extend to the activities of clubs or sports teams at your premises such as Bowls Clubs. However, if such clubs are involved in a league and play fixtures away from the Hall then they would need to arrange separate public liability insurance to cover these activities." https://www.villagehallinsurance.co.uk/hirers-1

YES! We really could do with more support. There's voluntary roles for everyone from running our Facebook page to answering emails to cleaning and mowing the lawns. We'd also like to start running more community events but with only a fewl of us it's hard! We'd love to hear from you admin@villagehallstanton.com

That would be very kind of you! Everyone forgets village halls are charities and need support! Although we would welcome a discussion about how you intend to fundraise so that it's all done properly and in line with the Fundraising Code of Practice. admin@villagehallstanton.com

The charity, Stanton Village Hall (charity no 520520) owns the Hall after the land was gifted to the people of Stanton in the 1950s. A hall was since built and the people have run it since. It's held in trust for the people of Stanton and each year trustees are nominated to run the charity in line with charity practice.

No - we're a small independent charity managed by trustees (local people who are not paid but who are responsible for running it safely and effectively). We're run by the community for the community! We survive mainly on income from hall hire - your support is really important to us.

We'll let our What's On section answer that: https://www.villagehallstanton.com/calendar

The committee are trustees agreed at the AGM each July. We place an invitation for the AGM asking for trustee nominations at least 28 days before the AGM. The invitation is placed on our noticeboards and our website at /AGM There are certain responsibilities of a trustee including that you stay upto date with charity law and practice (so this is a little more than attending some meetings) - but the information is well-communicated by the Charity Commission with useful online guides. You've a legal responsibility for the charity. There are some scenarios where you can't be a trustee - for instance if you've previously been struck off as a company director. For more on being a trustee see the Charity Commission website. If you're interested in joining us then get in touch admin@villagehallstanton.com

We would love some support! There may be some opportunities to sponsor items and accessories around the Hall and grounds. Do get in touch admin@villagehallstanton.com

Our hirers have priority use of the car park. There is no weekend parking allowed for others to ensure our hirers have a great experience (although there are two spaces used by local as part of an existing agreement). We're currently exploring weekday parking costs/availability but ask others to remember and respect that this is our car park. When the hall is in use by a hirer they have priority use of the car park. We've sadly had to argue this point in the past. We're currently exploring sanctions for those who abuse our car park - possible parking invoices/ticketing as this is one of the most troublesome aspects of managing the Hall and it oughtn't be for our hardworking trustees and volunteers. This won't impact genuine hall users.

Yes. That would be fantastic! We have a PayPal Giving account so you can give easily here: https://www.paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/charity/3275704 Thank you!

We're not a staffed building. We're open when we have hirers in or by prior arrangement only. Hirers may book from 8am until midnight. Music must stop by 11pm and guests to have left by 11.30pm so as to not disrupt our neighbours.

It does depend what our needs are. We offer a pre-loved book stall in the foyer and you're welcome to donate books for this. We are often short of tea-towels so those would be helpful. We're currently in need of a new electric oven as our current one is not quite hitting the right temperature. A second hand one which is in good condition and safe (which we can PAT test) would be amazing. Do get in touch.