St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church
Bookings Policy & Procedure
For the Hire and Use of the Church and Shirley House
1. Priority of use
1.1. The order of priority for use and accepting bookings is as follows:
(1) Activities organised by or for St. Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church
Church groups can book the facilities on either a one-off or regular basis.
Church members are welcome to use the facilities when they are free on the understanding that they accept responsibility for them. Access may only be granted by those authorised.
(2) Activities organised by or for other Christian groups or Churches
Other Christian groups and Churches are welcome to use the facilities on either a one-off or long-term basis.
In addition to the normal procedures, request to use the building for worship must be approved by the Vicar/Minister.
Other faith groups are welcome to use the facilities for events on either a one-off or long-term basis. If it is desired to include elements of prayer or worship as part of the events, organisers are asked to contact the Vicar/Minister (see Footnote at end of Policy for background on this statement)
(3) Activities organised by or for the community
Local groups, registered charities and statutory authorities are welcome to book the facilities on either a one-off or regular basis.
(4) Private and commercial activities
Other individuals and organisations are welcome to book the facilities.
In all cases*, a charge will be made according to the current room hire charges list.
*Except one-off bookings for an Interfaith event in the Interfaith Room, which may be free of charge provided they are agreed in advance with the Interfaith Committee and publicised as part of the Interfaith program.
2. Management of Bookings
2.1. Co-ordination of Bookings Diary
A central bookings diary is to be kept by the Caretaker.
All use of the building, by all groups and individuals should be booked through the Caretaker and entered into the diary.
Before a booking can be accepted, the Caretaker should check the following:-
Suitability of the group / activity proposed
All hirers or their representative must be 18 years or over
Availability of the room/building
Any conflicts with the main church calendar
Notes regarding the Interfaith Room:
The Interfaith Room can be used as an overflow room by any group booking a room in Shirley House, provided that this will not disadvantage Interfaith use of the room;
Groups can request to use the Interfaith Room for its specific qualities, provided that this will not disadvantage Interfaith use of the room;
No storage space can be offered to new groups using the Interfaith Room;
Unless the booking is a one-off booking for an Interfaith event as mentioned above, the charge for booking the Interfaith Room is the same as for Room 3. The funds from hiring the Interfaith Room will go into general St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church funds.
Unless a specific dispensation is granted, all bookings must end by 10:00 pm with the premises vacated by 10:30 pm.
2.2. Acceptance of One-off Bookings
One-off bookings should be made through the Caretaker.
The Caretaker reserves the right to refer any booking to the ECC or its appointed representative for final approval.
The ECC or its appointed person reserves the right to refuse a booking.
A Booking Form must be completed, Conditions of Hire and Guidance Notes accepted, and payment (if appropriate) received, before the booking is finalised.
Hirer(s) must either have their own Safeguarding Policy, of which a copy must be provided and available on request, or agree to abide by ours which is available at https://www.standrewspsalterlane.org.uk/our-safeguarding-policy/
2.3. Approval and Acceptance of Regular Bookings:
Requests for regular bookings should be made in writing to the Caretaker.
Approval of regular bookings should be made by the ECC or a sub-committee of the ECC who will take into account how the proposed activity fits into the Church strategy, and how it relates to other activities already taking place within the building(s).
The ECC reserves the right to refuse a booking.
The hirer will be required to sign a regular booking form before the booking is accepted.
Hirer(s) must either have their own Safeguarding Policy, of which a copy must be provided and available on request, or agree to abide by ours which is available at https://www.standrewspsalterlane.org.uk/our-safeguarding-policy/
2.4. Rents and Hire Fees
Hire fees for one-off bookings will be based on a room-by-room basis
Additional charges will be levied to cover one-off items and if necessary for additional cleaning, servicing or breakages.
Rents for regular bookings will be negotiated on an individual basis based on the one-off booking fee and agreed by the ECC.
All rents and hire charges will be reviewed annually by the ECC with input from the Property and Finance Committee.
Footnote to item 1.1.(2) In 2005, in response to particular queries, the national Methodist Church sought Counsel's Opinion as to whether people of other faiths could use Methodist premises for religious purposes. Counsel's Opinion was that this is not permitted under Methodist Charitable Trusts because it is not in accordance with the purposes of the Methodist Church as expressed in these (in particular "the advancement of the Christian faith"). The formal wording in the Opinion is use of premises for "formal worship, or other overtly religious purposes".
There is also a section of the Constitutional Practice & Discipline of the Methodist Church (CPD) that relates to use of Methodist premises for worship, and which states that "the managing trustees shall not permit any person, at any service or meeting for religious worship held at or in any part of any premises comprised in the property, so to preach or expound God’s Holy Word or perform any act as to deny or repudiate the (Methodist) doctrinal standards."
Counsel's Opinion has been felt by some members of the Methodist Church to be too narrow and restrictive. SAPLC, especially given the presence of the Interfaith Centre in Shirley House, has always tried to be hospitable to friends of other faiths, which may sometimes mean pushing the boundaries of the Methodist ruling. In responding to requests to use our premises, we seek to balance an acknowledgement of Methodist policy with our desire to be as hospitable and flexible as possible.
Review
The Bookings Policy and Procedure will be reviewed annually. The next review is due in April 2024.
This version agreed and accepted by the Property and Finance Committee, 19th April 2023.