Before I Hire
How do I make a booking enquiry? Please use the Enquiry Form on this web site.
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Is there car parking available? Immediately outside the Hall is a car park for approximately 13 vehicles, with overflow parking on the grass for a further 20. The grass area is underlaid with rubber matting, as shown in green in the illustration. Please ask your guests not to block the access to the overflow parking, and to use it rather than parking on the road where it may cause an obstruction.
What’s the layout of the Hall? We have an entrance hall giving direct access to the Main Hall, off which is a small storage area and a Committee Room (with separate external access). There are also lavatories for ladies, gentlemen and an accessibility toilet. The hall is fully accessible. A diagram of the hall layout can be found on the Facilities page.
What access is there to the kitchen? The kitchen is directly accessible only from the Entrance Hall, however there is a serving hatch from the kitchen to the Main Hall. The use of the kitchen is included in the hire charge for either the Main Hall or the Committee Room.
Can I visit the Hall before I book to see if it’s suitable? We are all volunteers, many with full-time jobs, which makes it difficult to arrange viewings as we also must do this at time the hall is free. The pictures of the hall on our website are accurate. However, if you are planning a larger event and this is important to you please contact the Bookings Secretary and we will do our best to accommodate a visit.
Can I arrange a Bouncy Castle for my party? The use of bouncy castles and inflatables inside the hall and on the hall’s patio area is not permitted as they are expressly excluded from our insurance policy as a hazardous activity.
If you wish to use a bouncy castle or inflatable outside the premises on the grass near the hall it is also not permitted as part of the hire of Upton Village Hall as the Recreation Ground is owned by Upton Parish Council. You must separately contact Upton Parish Council. See Bouncy Castles.
Is there a stage and sound equipment? No, however the hall does have a public entertainment licence. Equipment would need to be hired.
Is there WiFi in the Hall? Yes, WiFi is freely available for use by our guests. The Wifi network is called Upton Village Hall Guest WiFi, and you must agree to the terms and conditions of use when you connect. The password is on the noticeboard in the entrance hall.
What is the capacity of the Hall? We can accommodate 100 people in the Large Hall, approximately 60 in dining format and 10-12 in the Committee Room.
Is there any equipment suitable for children?
There are two low pre-school tables which are perfect for toddlers to play at. We also have (pictured) a table with eight chairs suitable for 2-7 year olds. Please bring your own table cloths or covers for these as we don’t have these available.
Are there facilities for the disabled? The hall is fully accessible for those in wheelchairs, and there is a large lavatory especially equipped for the disabled. There are no significant floor level changes inside.
Do you have cutlery, wine glasses, beer glasses, cups, saucers, plates. tables, chairs? We have a large amount of basic cutlery and a small number of half pint beer glasses. We suggest you bring your own or hire them (usually free of charge) from one of the supermarkets. There is a crockery set for about 60 comprising a large plate, small plate, bowl, cup and saucer. We have 40 small tables that can be slotted together to form tables of any size plus 3 or 4 large tables.
What appliances are available in the kitchen? There is a 110cm electric cooker with four hobs, two ovens and a gril. There is also a microwave, a plumbed in wall kettle, a coffee filter machine, and an industrial dishwasher. If you want to use the dishwasher, you must obtain prior consent; it operates very differently to a domestic model and you must be instructed in its use. If you have not been authorised to use it you will lose your deposit in the event of improper usage. NB You must bring your own bin bags, table cloths and tea towels, as these are not provided.
Is there any free time allowed for setting up and/or clearing up? We ask that you book and pay for all the time you will be in occupation; this will include any time necessary for setting-up and clearing down.
Can I provide alcohol at my event? If you intend to provide alcohol at an event for which money changes hands at any point, you will need a licence. For example, you will need an alcohol licence if you sell tickets which include a free drink, if you sell alcohol at a bar, or if you provide alcohol to members of a club. The Hall has a Premises Licence for the on-sale of alcohol and the Management Committee will consider allowing this to be used by approved hirers, for a fee of £20 per day. Alternatively you can hire a private licensee to run the bar for you, or seek the permission of the committee to apply for a Temporary Event Notice from the Vale of the White Horse District Council. If alcohol is provided at the event completely free of charge, no licence is required. However you must seek the approval of the Management Committee for all events at which alcohol is to be provided.
Can I have a BBQ or spit roast at the hall? Please ensure you follow the guidelines below if you wish to have a BBQ or spit roast at your event:
1. The BBQ can’t be placed on the patio area of the village hall.
2. It must be placed on the grass area by the hall – this is owned by Upton Parish Council and you must follow their guidance which is: Only raised barbeques not less than half a metre above the ground may be used and must not be sited where they might cause a danger or nuisance to other Users. In particular they are not permitted on the football pitch, within Play Areas, on the Car Park, or within 6 metres of any boundary fence, building or tree.”
3. The BBQ must be supervised at all times.
4. No hot coals must be disposed off in the refuse bins
5. No BBQ – even disposable ones – can be used inside the village hall.
When do I pay for my hire? We are unable to issue reminders, so please ensure that you make your final payment no later than four weeks before your event. If full payment has not been received you may forfeit the period booked and we may accept bookings from other hirers.
Do you offer any discounts? We offer discounts to the residents of Upton.
Do you have any restrictions as to who can hire the Hall? We do not hire the Hall to anyone aged less than 18 years, nor to anyone who may still owe money to the Hall for any reason. There may be some activities or events for which we would choose not to hire out the Hall; please ask if you need to.
On the Day
Do I collect a key? Please contact us using bookings@uptonvillagehall.co.uk during the week before the event. We will issue you with a unique access code with which you can unlock the main door. This code is allocated to you personally and its usage is logged – please do not pass it on as you may be held responsible for any misuse.
How do I use the access code to unlock the door? Enter the code with which you have been provided. The green LED on the keypad will illuminate and the door will be unlocked. Note that because of the weather seal on the door, the latch is a little stiff and you will need to push the door inwards slightly before opening outwards. To keep the door open for your guests, find the ‘snib’ on the side of the door by the handle and slide it down to retain the latch in the open position. Remember to release this before you leave, and close the door behind you ensuring that it is secure.
My guests want to arrive earlier than the time booked; what should I do? The Hall will be available from the time you booked, and unless you have made an alteration (with the agreement of the Bookings Secretary), that is the time you and your guests may enter. If the Hall is already open owing to an earlier event being in progress, we ask that you respect their tenancy of the Hall and don’t enter prematurely.
There is another event occurring in one of the other rooms; what should I do? Please confine your use of the Hall to the room(s) you have booked and respect others’ rights to the room they are in.
Can I attach decorations to the wall and ceiling? Yes, but only using approved materials. Do not use clear tape as it leaves a residue on surfaces which is difficult or impossible to remove. You must not attach anything to lighting appliances or to other electrical equipment – doing so is not only a safety hazard but can also cause damage. We strongly recommend the use of 3M Command hooks – these are inexpensive (about £4 for 20), strong, non-permanent hooks which can be purchased in supermarkets, stationers and DIY stores, as well as online through Amazon and eBay etc. Search for ‘command decorating clips’…
During Hire
What should I do in the event of a fire? Please refer to and familiarize yourself with the Fire Procedures prior to the event. As the hirer you are the designated responsible person and the safety of all users is of primary importance.
There is some faulty equipment at the Hall; what should I do? We’d be pleased if you would report it to the Bookings Secretary. If a malfunction is interfering with the proper running of your event, you may report it immediately to any of the people whose numbers appear on the Hiring Information Sheet.
I’ve broken something belonging to the Hall; where should I report this? Again, to the Bookings Secretary. We have an understanding view of accidental breakage, but if we feel an item has been broken through misbehaviour or similar we would expect it to be paid for. We would far rather discuss a breakage with a hirer than have to pursue them later and would hope to come to a reasonable arrangement.
How do I operate the cooker / heaters / lights / other equipment? There is a comprehensive guide to the operation of the Hall’s equipment in the Hiring Information Sheet you will be given when your booking is confirmed.
At the Close of my Event
How much cleaning-up do you expect me to do? We expect that all tables will be clean and floors swept, food and rubbish to have been removed. Please note that our Hiring Terms state that should the Hall be left in such a state that cleaning by our local volunteers is unnecessary; we reserve the right to deduct the cost from the deposit left with us.
What time must we leave? The Hall must be vacated by the end of your specified booking period.
What should I do with my rubbish? Although there are Green and Black bins outside the hall, please arrange to bag up your rubbish and take it with you. There are frequently several events at the hall during the course of a week, each generating sizeable amounts of refuse. The Vale of White Horse District Council empties the bins on a two-weekly cycle, so if hirers leave their rubbish behind the bins can overflow, creating unpleasantness for all our users. Remember to bring black bags with you – they are not provided.
After the Event
I think I’ve left some property at the Hall; what can I do about it? We understand that it’s easy to leave behind some item of property and we have a policy of keeping lost property for up to three months. Please contact the Bookings Secretary if you think you’ve left something with us.
When do I get back my deposit? We aim to refund the deposit within a week after the event. Please note that we reserve the right to deduct an appropriate amount if damage has occurred or cleaning is required.
I’d like to leave some feedback on my experience of the Hall. How do I do this? We should be very grateful if you wish to share any opinion of the Hall and/or the volunteers you have dealt with during the hire process. Please use the feedback form, e-mail the Bookings Secretary, or leave a written message in the Kitchen addressed to the Committee.
