If you are interested in hiring one of our rooms for your own organisation or event please contact our office by email (office@kensington-unitarians.org.uk). We prefer to deal with bookings enquiries by email so there is a written record; the office is only staffed part-time. The table below indicates our hourly room hire charges.
| HOURLY RATES | Library | Hall | Church |
| Standard | £25 | £50 | £70 |
Rooms are available between 9am and 10pm Monday – Saturday, and between 2pm and 10pm on Sunday. These rates apply to charities, community groups and micro-enterprises. This is a residential area – please be aware of this when leaving the building.
Slots booked must include any setting up & clearing away needed.
Discounts: All day booking (9am – 5pm): 8 hours for the price of 7. 10% discount for 10 or more sessions paid in full in advance without any changes or cancellations.
Changes and cancellations: More than 2 weeks’ notice no charge, less than 2 weeks’ notice full charge.
Facilities:
Room hire includes use of the kitchen for serving light refreshments, but not food preparation or cooking. Crockery, glasses, cutlery and washing up facilities are provided, please clean up after your group.
Keep noise to a minimum in the entrance foyer, and kitchen, be sensitive to other groups using the building.
Permission is needed for noisy activities such as playing music, chanting singing or dancing which may disturb other groups. During such activities, doors and windows should be kept shut.
Permission is needed to use the garden space at the back of the church.
Wifi is available free subject to the Essex Church acceptable use policy displayed.
A hearing loop is provided in the Church only.
There is no parking available at the church. There are a few meters nearby (20p for 5 minutes) and an NCP carpark in Bayswater Rd. The church is easily accessible from Notting Hill Gate tube or by 27, 28, 31, 52, 70, 94, 148, 328 or 390 bus.
Reinstatement:
The Hirer is responsible for leaving the hired rooms clean, tidy and reinstating any furniture which has been moved.
The Hirer must report and pay for any damage caused, or extra cleaning if rooms are not left in their original state.
Essex Church reserves the right to make additional charges for times/space not agreed to in advance. Any changes or cancellation should be notified to the Administrator by email as soon as possible.
Insurance:
Any property belonging to the Hirer is left in the building at their own risk. The Hirer must maintain the necessary insurance for all legal liabilities arising out of their activities while on the Premises including personal injury and death of third parties (including employees and volunteers) and damage to the building or to the property of others.
Should an incident occur at the site of a serious nature and/or which might result in an insurance claim the Hirer shall at the earliest opportunity prepare an Incident Report including details of date, time, events and outcome, and email a signed copy to the office.
Security:
The Hirer is responsible for security while their group is using the Centre. Please ensure that all exterior doors are kept closed and locked – do not prop them open.
The group leader will be provided with a code which should not be shared. They should be first to arrive and last to leave.
Only admit members of your own group.
Fire Precautions and Safety:
A Fire Emergency Plan is posted in the Gallery, which tells you what to do in the event of a fire and/or an alarm. Under the Plan the Hirer must nominate a ‘Responsible Person’ from their group and ensure that all members are familiar with the Plan, the fire exit routes and muster point.
When setting up furniture remember to keep fire exits clear and maintain adequate gangways. Do not prop fire doors open.
Sensitive smoke and heat detectors are located throughout the building, and no smoking is permitted on the site. The use of candles or incense in small numbers will not normally trigger an alarm, these should be only used in stable non-flammable containers. If a false alarm does occur instructions for cancelling it are posted in the front entrance lobby adjacent to the fire alarm panel. This must only be done if and when you are certain no risk remains.
Hirers are responsible for ensuring the safety of any equipment brought onto the Premises. Electrical equipment must be PAT tested and removed from building at the end of the session.
First Aid:
A First Aid box and accident book are in the kitchen.
Safeguarding:
The Hirer must have appropriate policies in place to safeguard any children or vulnerable persons in their group and ensure that any statutory are complete before the Hire Period commences. Essex Church is not responsible for the consequences of a hirer’s failure to meet these legal obligations. Children must be supervised at all times.
Advertising, media and the distribution or sale of literature:
Invitations to events held at Essex Church must carry the RSVP address of the Hirer only. Hirers should seek Office approval of promotional material featuring the church prior to release. No images of Essex Church may be used by the Hirer for promotion or marketing unless agreed by the Office in writing.
The Hirer must obtain permission from the Office before any of the following activities take place on the Premises:
I. Any audio or visual recording, live links or photography for external publication or distribution
II. The attaching of banners, bills or posters to any walls or fabric of the building or grounds
III. The sale of books or other publications.
Any free distribution of literature by the Hirer must be inside the hired part of the building and not in the corridors or elsewhere.
The Hirer is responsible for obtaining any necessary licences from The Performing Rights Society and other copyright holders for any media used or activities conducted on the Premises during the Hire Period.
The hire of a Room does NOT carry with it any endorsement by Unitarians and the Hirer is not permitted to make any claim of such.
Acceptable Use:
Written details of the aims and policies of those wishing to use the Premises are normally requested to enable the Committee to understand their needs and objectives. We reserve the right to conduct necessary background checks on any potential Hirer and/or their speakers prior to confirmation of bookings.
A proposed booking may be refused if:
1. The aims or policies of the Hirer or Guests are in serious conflict with Unitarian principles.
2. The Hirer or Guests have been linked to violence or incitement to hatred or violence
3. Misbehaviour has occurred during a previous hiring or at another Unitarian property
4. The Hirer persistently breaches the Booking Conditions
5. A contravention of Fire or Health and Safety regulations may reasonably be anticipated.
Essex Church fully supports all legislation on Equal Opportunities, Racial, Sexual and Religious Discrimination. We aim only to hire our building to groups that promote understanding, tolerance, and love.
No smoking, alcohol, gambling (including raffles) or drugs are permitted anywhere on the Premises.
Place of Worship:
Please bear in mind that this is a religious building. In particular, the large hall is the worship space of the Unitarian congregation who own the church, and they ask you not to use the raised sanctuary area at the back.
This building is a Unitarian meeting place. We welcome all who use the building, and ask that it be respected as a place of spirituality and peace.