For the trustees who keep the hall going.
The fire logbook in the cupboard, the gas certificate in someone’s inbox, a hirer asking for your evacuation plan. All of it in one place, kept up by the people who already help.
Most halls choose Essentials, £19 a month, to keep the record. Halls that host weddings and shows usually choose Complete, £39, which writes Martyn’s Law and the policies for them.
- Fire alarm testweeklyDue today
- Emergency lighting testmonthlyDone Saturday
- Gas safety certificateyearlyCurrent
- Portable appliance testingyearlyNot on file
- Evacuation procedureMartyn’s LawDraft
- Public liability insurancerenewalExpires 12 Mar
Sound familiar?
- The logbook’s in the cupboard at the hall. I think Dave fills it in.
- The gas certificate came by email. To the old treasurer.
- A hirer asked for our fire procedure. We sent a photo of the notice by the door.
- New trustees get a carrier bag of paperwork and a ‘good luck’.
None of it is anyone’s fault. It’s what happens when the records live in drawers, inboxes and people’s heads.
When someone asks, you’re ready.
Sooner or later someone wants to see your records. Send them one link: what’s in place, who did it and when.
- Your insurerAsks at renewal when the alarm was last tested and the extinguishers serviced.
- A wedding coupleWant to see your evacuation plan before they book the hall.
- The fire serviceCalls in and asks for the logbook.
- New trusteesTake over at the AGM and need to know where everything is.
The law puts the duty on whoever runs the building. For most halls, that’s the trustees. If anything’s ever questioned, the record shows what was done, and by whom. How sharing works
Everything your hall has to keep
Set up from a few questions about your building, so you start with the right list and nothing you don’t need.
- Fire risk assessmentreviewed every year
- Fire alarm testevery week
- Emergency lightingmonthly test, yearly full test
- Fire extinguishersmonthly look, yearly service
- Gas safety checkevery year
- Electrical inspection (EICR)every five years
- Portable appliancestested every year
- Public liability insurancerenewed every year
- Hire agreementwith fire instructions for hirers
- Martyn’s Law proceduresif 200 or more people can be there at once
Intervals are common practice. Where your own fire risk assessment says otherwise, it takes precedence.
How it works for village halls
The caretaker gets the reminder
Monday’s alarm test arrives by email. They tap the link, say how it went, done. No account.
Another trustee approves it
Nobody signs off their own work, and you can see who did what, and when.
The chair shares one link
Before the AGM, or when the insurer asks: the whole record, read-only, dated.
- Main entrance on Church Lane.
- Meet at the war memorial.
- The key-holder checks the toilets and kitchen.
Most halls are in scope, and most think they aren’t.
Capacity is judged on your busiest day, not a normal week. The wedding, the village show, the Christmas fair, plus the volunteers and the band. If 200 or more people could be there at once, the Act applies.
Questions we hear
We’re all volunteers. Will anyone actually use it?
Most people never sign in. They get an email with a link, tap it on their phone, and that’s their part done. Only whoever sets it up needs an account.
Our hall is small. Is it worth it?
Essentials is £19 a month, less than most halls charge for an evening. It covers fire safety and every routine check. Martyn’s Law isn’t included because under 200 people it doesn’t apply.
What happens when trustees change?
The record belongs to the hall, not a person. Add the new trustee and everything is there, with who did what and when.
Can hirers see our procedures?
Add a regular hirer as a person and send them the procedures to read and confirm, or share a read-only link with anyone, for as long as you choose.
Most halls choose Essentials, £19 a month, to keep the record. Halls that host weddings and shows usually choose Complete, £39, which writes Martyn’s Law and the policies for them.
Start your 14-day trialAlso built for
Set up your building in about ten minutes.
14 days to try it. Cancel any time.