Booking the Village Hall for Events

The Ashcombe Village Hall is available for hire by local residents and organisations for a wide range of events, from children's parties and family celebrations to meetings, classes and rehearsals. This guide sets out how to make a booking, what the hall offers and the conditions that all hirers agree to. Please read it fully before making your booking.

The hall and its facilities

The main hall is a large, bright room with a wooden floor, suitable for gatherings of up to a hundred and twenty people seated. It can be arranged with tables and chairs, which are stored in the adjoining storeroom, or left clear for activities such as dancing or exercise. Off the main hall is a smaller meeting room that can be hired separately or together with the main hall. A fully equipped kitchen, with a cooker, refrigerator, kettles and crockery, adjoins the main hall and is included in the hire of the main room. There is a car park at the side of the building with space for around thirty vehicles.

How to book

All bookings are handled by the hall's booking secretary. To check whether the hall is free on your chosen date, please consult the online calendar on the village website, which shows current bookings, and then contact the booking secretary to make a provisional reservation. A booking is only confirmed once you have completed a booking form and paid a deposit. We recommend booking as far ahead as possible, as popular dates, particularly weekends and the period around the winter holidays, are often reserved many months in advance.

Charges and deposits

The hire charge depends on the room, the day and the length of the booking. Rates are lower for regular hirers, such as clubs that meet every week, than for one-off bookings. In addition to the hire charge, a refundable deposit is required at the time of booking. This deposit is returned in full after your event, provided that the hall has been left clean and tidy, that no damage has been caused, and that you have vacated the building by the agreed time. Charities and non-profit community groups may apply for a reduced rate; please mention this when you enquire.

Your responsibilities as a hirer

The person who makes the booking is responsible for the event and must be aged eighteen or over. You are expected to leave the hall as you found it: furniture returned to the storeroom, floors swept, the kitchen cleaned, and all rubbish removed from the premises, as there is no rubbish collection at the hall. You must not exceed the maximum number of people stated for the room, and emergency exits must be kept clear at all times. If you move any furniture during your event, please put it back before you leave.

Things to note

The hall has a licence for music and dancing, but if you intend to sell alcohol at your event you must arrange a separate licence yourself; the booking secretary can advise on how to do this. The use of candles, fireworks and any kind of smoke machine is not allowed anywhere in the building. Decorations may be put up, but please do not fix anything to the walls or ceiling with tape or pins that could cause damage; freestanding decorations are recommended instead.

Cancellations

We understand that plans sometimes change. If you need to cancel a booking, please tell the booking secretary as soon as possible. Cancellations made more than four weeks before the event will receive a full refund of any hire charge paid. For cancellations made later than this, part of the charge may be retained, as it may not be possible to re-let the hall at short notice. The deposit is always returned in the event of a cancellation. Please remember, too, that the hall is run for the benefit of the whole village by a committee of volunteers, and that the modest income from hire charges pays for heating, lighting, cleaning and repairs. By treating the building with care and leaving it in good order, every hirer helps to keep this valuable community resource available for others to enjoy. If you have any questions about hiring the hall, the booking secretary will be glad to help; contact details are on the village website and on the notice board outside the hall.