Thornbury & District Community Association

Our Mission

The TDCA is committed to providing an ongoing service, and to maintaining the facilities within The Chantry for the benefit of the communities of Thornbury and the surrounding Districts.

The goal is to make The Chantry a place where individuals and groups gather together to enjoy and participate in social and recreational activities and life-long learning.

Thornbury & District Community Association, a registered charity, began in 1964 using various premises in the High Street, the Cosham Hall, school halls and many of the committee members' homes for meeting places.  Thornbury was then rapidly expanding and had only a few facilities for social and recreational use.  The need for a dedicated Centre was an early clear goal of the fledgling organisation.

In 1966, The Chantry was purchased by the Association, as the community centre for Thornbury.  The house is now the Association's home, maintained and improved through the efforts of its members and volunteers.

The Association is governed by volunteer Trustees and run by a team of part-time paid staff.  The Association owns The Chantry and runs it as a Community Centre for the benefit of the residents of Thornbury and the surrounding area.  We are located within easy access to both the M4 and M5 motorways.

 

Trustees - 2017/18
President - Bernard Fennell

Chair - Christine Carter

Vice Chair - Kate Taylor

Treasurer - Lynette Sayce

  

  

  

Trustees:

Roger Howell (representing Religious Society of Friends)

Rob Mills (representing the Model Railway Club)

Mike Davis

Stan Goodwin (Representing Radio Club)

 

 

  

  


Staff

Facilities Coordinator - Debbie Burch

Facilities Administrators - Sally Hall   

Caretaking Staff - John Baird, Mark Norman

  

Cleaning Staff - Lucy Baird

 

 

 

 

The Association has two Member groups or Sections:

  •     Thornbury Chess Club

    

  •     Thornbury and District Model Railway Club


These are an integral part of the Association and each has long standing links with the Association.  Indeed the Chess Club was among the inaugural groups that formed at TDCA in 1963. 

 

 

 

 


General Rules and Hiring Conditions Governing the Use of

Thornbury & District Community Association (TDCA)

The TDCA is a registered charity governed by volunteer Trustees and run by part-time paid staff. The management of the community centre is vested in the Management Committee of the Community Association, whose powers and composition are defined in the constitution, a copy of which may be obtained from The Chantry office.  Under the provisions of the constitution, the Management Committee is empowered to make rules or to withdraw or amend them.

1.  Use of centre

Use of the community centre and its facilities is subject to the following rules and hiring conditions.

2. Equal opportunities

The community centre is open to all members of the community regardless of sex, sexual orientation, nationality, age, disability, race, or of political, religious or other opinions.

3. Hours of opening

Facilities at The Chantry are normally available for use between the hours of 08:00 and 22:00 every day.  In exceptional cases, these hours may be extended on application to the Management Committee.

The Chantry Office is generally open between 09:00 to 12:30 each weekday morning, these hours are reduced in School Holiday periods.

 

4. Applying to use the centre

  1. Application for hire of rooms or the garden shall be made to the Chantry Office. All bookings, and confirmation of telephone bookings, must be made on the appropriate booking form.  Times of hire must allow for your preparation and clearance.
  2. The Hirer, not being a person under 18 years of age, accepts responsibility for being in charge of and on the premises at all times when the public are present and for ensuring that all conditions, under this Agreement, relating to management and supervision of the premises are met.
  3. The right to refuse any application for the use of centre facilities is reserved to the Management Committee or Office Staff, provided that the Facilities Manager reports their action to the next meeting of the Management Committee.  The Management Committee may refuse an application to use the centre's facilities if the use by a particular association or individual presents a risk of public disorder or is incompatible with the terms of the AssociationsConstitution.
  4. Affiliated groups and Regular Hirers of the Association shall normally have priority use of its facilities, but all arrangements to hire facilities made with outside bodies and individuals shall be honoured by the Association except as provided for in (c) above.
  5. We reserve the right to vary hiring charges at any time without notice.  Charges applied to Hirers will be those at the time of the Hire rather than at the time of booking.

5.  Hire Charges

Hire charges vary depending on size of room, time of day, type of organisation making the booking or if used for private functions.A minimum hiring period is also applicable.  Please enquire at the office or on our website for full details.

6.  Cancellation by the Hirer

If a Hirer wishes to cancel the booking before the date of the booking, ten working days notice is required to cancel without charge otherwise the booking will be charged in full.

If the Hirer chooses not to use a booking due to adverse weather conditions, ie, snow, the room hire charge will still be payable, unless the Association have decided to close the building.

7.  Cancellation by the Association

All arrangements for the use of centre facilities are subject to the Association reserving the right to cancel bookings in the event of:

  1. The premises becoming unfit for the intended use, ie, icy conditions.
  2. The Association reasonably considering that such hiring will lead to a breach of licencsing conditions or unlawful or unsuitable activities will take place at the premises as a result of this hiring.
  3. An emergency requiring use of the premises as a shelter for victims of a disaster.
  4. The premises being required for use as a Polling Station.

A charge will not be made in these circumstances.

 

8. Maximum capacity

Each room has a maximum capacity of seated attendees and on no account shall these figures be exceeded.

9.  General Safety requirements

All conditions attached to the granting of the centres Premises Licence or other licences shall be strictly observed.  Nothing shall be done which will endanger the users of the building, or invalidate the policies of insurance relating to it and to its contents.  In particular:

  1. Obstructions must not be placed in gangways or exits, nor in front of emergency exits, which must be immediately available for free public egress;
  2. The emergency lighting supply must be turned on during the whole time the premises are occupied, and must illuminate all exit signs and routes.
  3. Performances involving danger to the public shall not be given;
  4. No unauthorised heating appliances shall be used on the premises;
  5. There are First Aid boxes available to all users of the premises. They are located outside the kitchen or in the Coach Hall lobby and must be returned after use. The Association does not have a qualified First Aider on site at all times.
  6. The Chantry Office must be informed, as soon as possible, of any accident or injury occurring on the premises and details of the incident entered into the Association's accident book.  Any failure of equipment belonging to the Association or brought in by the Hirer must also be reported as soon as possible.
  7. Any electrical appliances brought onto the premises and used there shall be safe, in good working order, and used in a safe manner in accordance with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and any subsequent legislation.  The Management Committee disclaims all responsibility for all claims and costs arising from the use of any equipment that does not so comply.
  8. No animals except guide dogs are to be brought onto the premises other than for a special event agreed to by the Association.  No animals whatsoever are to enter the kitchen at any time.
  9. There is no unauthorised access to the cellars or attics.
  10. Please be aware that there is a pond at the bottom of the garden, which has a grate covering it.  It is the Hirer's responsibility to ensure their invitees are aware of this.
  11. It is recommended that the Hirer has a mobile phone in case of emergency.  A telephone is available for use in the Chantry Office or bar when they are open.

10. Fire Safety Requirements

The Hirer or person/s in charge must familiarise themselves with the emergency evacuation procedure and fire safety requirements.  At the start of each hire period they must:

  1. Familiarise themselves with the fire safety and emergency evacuation plan displayed in each room.
  2. Identify their nearest escape route and ensure that the route is clear. Fire doors should not be wedged open.
  3. Identify the method of operation of escape door fastenings.
  4. Appreciate the importance of any fire doors and of closing all doors at the time of a fire.
  5. Check that there is no obvious fire hazard present.
  6. All groups are expected to co-operate in the fire drills which may be arranged at varying times in order to familiarise users with evacuation procedures;
  7. Fire-fighting apparatus shall be kept in its proper place and only used for its intended purpose.
  8. The Fire Service shall be called to any outbreak of fire, however slight, and details of the occurrence shall be given to the Chantry office.
  9. Highly flammable substances shall not be brought into or used in any part of the premises. No internal decorations of a combustible nature (e.g. polystyrene, cotton, etc.) shall be erected without the consent of the Management Committee.  No decorations are to be put up near light fittings or heaters.

11.  Indemnity/Insurance

Thornbury & District Community Association is only insured against any claims arising out of its own negligence.

 

The Hirer shall be liable for:

(i)  the cost of repair of any damage done to any part of the premises including the curtilage thereof (land within the boundaries of the premises) or the contents of the premises;

 

(ii)  all claims, losses, damages and costs in respect of damage or loss of property or injury to persons arising as a result of the use of the premises, cartilage or contents (including the storage of equipment) by the Hirer; and

 

(iii)  all claims, losses, damages and costs suffered or incurred as a result of any nuisance caused to a third party as a result of the use of the premises, curtilage or contents by the Hirer.

 

It will be the Hirer's responsibility to take out adequate insurance to cover the Hirers liability.

12. Supervision

The hirer or person in charge of an activity shall not be under 18 years of age and shall be on the premises for the entire period of hire or duration of the activity. S/he shall not be engaged in any duties which prevent him/her from exercising general supervision.  Separate rules apply to functions predominantly in the teen to 21 year old age range - please advise the Chantry office.

The Hirer shall, during the period of the hiring, be responsible for -

  1. supervision of the premises, the fabric and the contents;
  2. their care, safety from damage however slight or change of any sort; and
  3. the behaviour of all persons using the premises whatever their capacity, including proper supervision of car parking arrangements so as to avoid obstruction of the highway.

 

As directed by the Association, the Hirer shall make good or pay for all damage (including accidental damage) to the premises or to the fixtures, fittings or contents and for loss of contents.

13.  Safety of vulnerable people

The Hirer shall ensure that any activities for children under eight years of age comply with the provisions of The Children Act of 1989 and subsequent legislation, and that only fit and proper persons who have passed the appropriate Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks have access to the children. Checks may also apply where children over eight and vulnerable adults are taking part in activities. The Hirer shall provide the Association with a copy of their CRB Check and Child Protection Policy on request.  The Management Committee reserves the right to exclude from the premises any organisation that fails to comply with this requirement.

14.  Supply of food and drink

The Hirer shall, if preparing, serving or selling food, observe all relevant food health and hygiene legislation and regulations - such persons at all times shall observe the Code of Conduct displayed in the kitchen. Please note:

  1. If using our kitchen, you will need to bring in your own catering supplies, including tea/coffee/milk etc. Crockery and cutlery is provided, but they must be washed up and put away after use.
  2. A clearing charge of £5.00 will be incurred for use of non-registered outside caterers.
  3. Sale of Goods

The Hirer shall, if selling goods on the premises, comply with Fair Trading laws and any code of practice used in connection with such sales. In particular, the Hirer shall ensure that the total prices of all goods and services are prominently displayed, as shall be the organiser's name and address, and that any discounts offered are based only on Manufacturers Recommended Retail Prices.

  1. Intoxicating liquor and Other Drinks

No intoxicating liquors are permitted to be bought on to, sold or consumed on any part of the premises without the express permission in writing of the Management Committee. The Chantry has its own Social Club and bar which can provide alcohol as required.  At times when the bar is open it is not permitted to bring in soft drinks - all drink to be purchased through the bar.

17.  Drunk & Disorderly Behaviour

The Association Social Club and the Hirer shall ensure that in order to avoid disturbing neighbours and to avoid violent or criminal behaviour, care shall be taken to avoid excessive consumption of alcohol.  Drunk and disorderly behaviour shall not be permitted either on the premises or in its immediate vicinity.  Alcohol shall not be served to any person suspected of being drunk nor to any person suspected of being under the age of 18. Any person suspected of being drunk, under the influence of drugs or who is behaving in a violent or disorderly way shall be asked to leave the premises. No illegal drugs may be brought onto the premises.

 

 

18.  Music

The following conditions are applicable to the playing of any type of music:

  1. The Hirer must notify us in advance if they intend to play any type of music.
  2. Music must be played at a reasonable noise level out of respect to our neighbours and as per our premises licence.
  3. Music should not be played in the garden unless agreed when booking and finish by 10.30pm. Music involving a DJ or Karoke is not permitted in the garden or conservatory.
  4. Music in the building can continue later than this, but the end time must be approved by our committee.
  5. Our bar manager will regularly monitor noise levels - please comply with any requests to turn the music down. 
  6. If playing music whilst our bar is not open, we rely on and appreciate your discretion to ensure that music is kept at a reasonable level.
  7. We will terminate music where requests to turn down the music are not met.

19. Music Licences

Music played for private functions are exempt from any licence requirements.  Private functions are such as wedding receptions, birthday and anniversary parties.  If members of the public are in attendance the following licensing requirements need to be met:

  1. The premises are licensed with the Performing Right Society (PRS) for the performance of copyright music in any form, eg. record, compact disc, tapes, radio, television or by performers in person for our own purposes only.  Hirers should advise the Chantry Office if using any type of music during their activities in some circumstances we can arrange cover for an extra charge or the Hirer can make arrangements for their own PRS licence if required.
  2. The Association's licence with Phonographic Performance Ltd. (PPL) for the performance of recorded music in any form, is again for our own purposes only. It is the responsibility of any hirer which uses recorded music in its activities to check if it requires a licence from PPL and, if so, to obtain one.

If other licences are required in respect of any activity in the premises, the Hirer should ensure that they hold the relevant licence or the Association holds it.

  1. Betting, gaming and lotteries

The Hirer shall ensure that nothing is done on or in relation to the premises in contravention of the law relating to betting, gaming and lotteries, and the persons or hirer responsible for functions held in the centre premises shall ensure that the requirements of the relevant legislation are strictly observed.

  1. Licensable Activities

The Chantry Office must be given at least two months notice of any event that is not licensed by the Association Premises Licence.  The licence is displayed on the premises.

 

  1. Storage

The permission of the Management Committee must be obtained before goods or equipment are left or stored at the community centre, except that the Office staff are authorised to grant permission for the overnight storage of goods and equipment brought to the centre for a particular function or event.

The Association accepts no responsibility for any stored equipment or other property brought onto or left at the premises, and all liability for loss of damage is hereby excluded.

  1. Loss of property

The Association cannot accept responsibility for damage to, or the loss or theft of, centre users property and effects.

  1. Car parking

Parking is available on site for approx 25 cars.  Cars shall be parked in the bays provided and should not be parked so as to cause an obstruction at the entrance to, or exits from, the centre.Users of the centre should avoid undue noise on arrival and departure.  There is one disabled parking bay.  There is no reserved parking – parking is on a first come, first served basis.

  1. Noise

The Hirer shall ensure that the minimum of noise is made on arrival and departure, and is responsible for ensuring that the noise level during their hire is not such as to interfere with other activities within the building nor to cause inconvenience for the occupiers of nearby houses and property.

26.  Cleaning and security

All use of centre premises and facilities is subject to the users accepting responsibility for returning furniture and equipment to their original position, and for securing doors and windows of the premises as directed by the Chantry Office at the end of the hire period.  All users shall also leave the premises and surrounds in a clean and tidy condition; otherwise the Association shall be at liberty to make an additional charge. There are cleaning items available for this purpose in the Buckingham Room, Coach Hall and under the stairs in the main house.  Litter shall not be left in or about the centre premises. In addition to this, the Association may need to ask the Hirer to clear the room at the end of their booked session (stack the chairs, move tables etc). Where this will be necessary the Association will inform the Hirer.