TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE
This room hire agreement is made between the Religious Society of Friends (South East Scotland Area Meeting) and the Hirer.
1. Booking deposit and cancellation fee
Hirers must make an advance payment of 20% of the total booking fee within 14 days of acceptance of the booking unless otherwise agreed. Purchase order details are accepted in lieu of this fee for large organisations, but a charge may be made for cancellation in line with this condition of use.
If the booking is subsequently cancelled, a cancellation fee is payable as follows:
a) Cancellation 14 or more days before the event: 20% of the total booking fee (to be offset against the deposit if paid);
b) Cancellation less than 14 days before the event: 100% of the total booking fee.
2. Charges
Charges are made per hour, per half-day or per day, and must include set up and clear up times. Access to the rooms is not available outside the hours booked. Payment is preferred in advance or on the day of use. Payments may be made by BACS transfers or cheque made payable to ‘Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House’. We are unable to accept payment by card.
If you use copyright recorded music in a teaching or performance capacity on the premises we are obliged under copyright law to collect an additional fee for the Performing Rights Society (PRS). Please ask the managers for details.
3. Advertising
a) Please ask us if you would like us to display notices about activities.
b) Please ensure that invitations to events carry your contact details.
4. Use of the building
a) Please remember that you may not be the sole user of the building; if you require additional furniture or equipment not in the room please ask a member of staff for assistance.
b) Please do not put notices or banners up in public areas without consultation with the managers.
c) Hirers at the standard rate are asked to arrange the rooms themselves and leave them as they find them. We reserve the right to make an additional charge for cleaning and furniture moving if this is not undertaken.
d) Please do not stick anything to the walls as this may damage the decoration.
e) In accordance with the law, no smoking is permitted in any part of the building.
f) Alcoholic drinks are not allowed in the building.
g) The use of candles and joss sticks is not permitted in the building due to fire risks.
h) We are very short of storage space and are therefore unable to provide this facility for hirers of the building.
i) We expect hirers to vacate the building at the end of the booking period, and reserve the right to charge for over-run (at double rate after 10.00 pm).
j) We only hold an entertainment licence during the Edinburgh Fringe. At other times of year no admission charge may be made for events where licensing of music for entertainment is required if an entrance fee is charged.
k) Hirers are not allowed to sub-licence or give up occupation of any portion of the hired part of the building to a third party. A breach of this clause shall immediately terminate this contract, except to the extent that the hirer agrees to pay the full hire charge and any further related costs and losses incurred by us.
l) The hirer agrees to obtain prior permission to organise or carry out any TV or radio recordings, broadcasts or interviews, live video links or any other video / audio recording or photography for external publication or distribution.
5. Your Liability
a) All property that is brought into the Meeting House is the responsibility of the owner, and we accept no responsibility for loss or damage. We particularly remind visitors to keep valuables about their person. The Meeting House has the right to dispose of property left on the premises for more than one month.
b) You will be liable to compensate us for all damage to our property or breakages as a result of actions by members of your group during their use of the building.
c) Please notify us of any damage or breakages, or any defects in the building that you have noticed.
d) Our own public liability insurance does not extend to groups that are hiring rooms in the Meeting House. It is therefore your responsibility to ensure that you are adequately insured against injury caused to a member of your group or to any other member of the public, or damage to property resulting from the actions of members of your group while they are using the Meeting House.
e) Hirers are responsible for the safety of electrical devices brought into the building.
f) Any personal injury on the premises should be reported to a member of staff from whom first aid equipment is available.
6. Refreshments
We provide tea, coffee and biscuits (traded fairly) at modest prices and can arrange a buffet style lunch from our caterers, including catering for special diets, if required. Individuals may bring food into the premises for personal consumption only, but there may be an additional charge if this is likely to cause extra clearing or cleaning, and the Meeting House can accept no responsibility for food safety in these circumstances. Water is provided in all rooms.
Food and drinks (other than water) should not be taken into the main Meeting Room (2nd floor) unless by prior arrangement with the managers
We are not usually able to accommodate outside caterers unless specifically agreed in exceptional circumstances, for which an additional charge would be made.
7. Audio-visual equipment
An additional charge is made for the hire of AV equipment, which should be booked in advance. Please note that the Bow Room is not suitable for AV presentations. Free encrypted Wi-fi is available.
8. Fire Precautions
Fire doors, situated throughout the building, must not be propped open or blocked, but may be kept open by the ‘acoustic’ door stops (please ask for assistance if necessary). Emergency evacuation procedures are posted throughout the building and should be drawn to the attention of your group. The fire alarm is a continuously sounding bell.
9. Alterations to Bookings
We always endeavour to meet the needs of our clients, but reserve the right to alter the rooms booked, or to cancel any bookings already made, if necessary in exceptional circumstances.
10. Access to the Meeting House
Detailed access instructions are available on request. There is easy wheelchair access to all the main rooms and a wheelchair accessible toilet on the ground floor. There is permanent ramped access to the main entrance.
10. Right of Entry
While we respect confidentiality, we reserve the right to access all parts of the building at all times.
11. Environmental Responsibility
We try to be environmentally responsible in our use of resources and management of waste. Please observe any instructions about separation of waste for recycling, as we are liable to be charged for waste that is not correctly sorted.
12. Safeguarding
Any groups using the building are responsible for making their own arrangements regarding safeguarding of children or vulnerable adults, if appropriate.
The hirer shall ensure that:
a) Children are supervised at all times.
b) Any activities involving children, young people, or vulnerable adults comply with current safeguarding legislation. It is the responsibility of the hirer to ensure that all necessary child protection checks should be undertaken before the Hire Period commences. We do not accept any responsibility for the Hirer’s failure to comply with this requirement.
c) All current legislation and regulations are complied with during the Hire Period so as to ensure that no discrimination takes place, regarding gender, race, colour, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, sexual orientation, disability or age. We do not accept any responsibility for the Hirer’s failure to comply with this requirement.
Sue Proudlove and Tony Wilkes
Meeting House Managers