Frequently Asked Questions

• Good central position between Northampton, Kettering & Wellingborough
• Welcoming period atmosphere with many character features
• Fully equipped kitchen with fridge, range-cooker, microwave & instant water boiler. Cutlery, crockery and various glasses are also provided, but of course you may prefer to bring your own
• Toilets, & disabled facilities in Main Hall foyer (Not available in Green Room)
• Disabled or equipment access using ramp (to main hall only) . See also FAQ regarding Disabled Access.
• Good modular stage with curtains, with wings and centre back of stage access. Ideal for  band, choir, disco, or dramatics performances and rehearsals/practice
• Full fibre Ultrafast Broadband with WiFi
• (N.B. We have no TV licence, so, sorry, watching on any device of any TV service might risk incurring a fine!) 
• Heat pump operated full central heating, so it's always warm
• Private grass area behind hall (takes a bouncy castle in good weather), which also gives access to the village playing field with children’s play equipment. (This is a public area, not part of the village hall property)
• Maximum capacity of Main Hall 200 people (not seated & feeling very full) or 120 (seated in rows -  N.B. we have 96 chairs). Sit-down-meal numbers would depend on desired level of comfort or cosiness!
• Hire of hall includes use of the 96 chairs and 20+ tables and half-size tables

We have TWO ROOMS for hire, available in THREE configurations.

1. Main Hall - Great for any event, group, club or exercise class etc.
2. Main Hall interior dimensions: 13.8m x 7.2m (max) + stage 7.2m x 4.0m  
3. Green Room - This is a smaller space, suitable for small groups only, perhaps a small choir or small drama group. You may wish to view before making a first booking.  There are no tables or chairs available. There is some bench seating.
4. Whole Building - This consists of the Main Hall and Green Room, the separate L-shaped room behind and alongside the stage, which is set up as a multi-purpose green-room and youth-club area. It also has an entrance (by arrangement for key) from Back Lane. The combinations would permit use as a true 'green room' for those presenting or rehearsing stage productions in addition to providing a serving space for a bar or food and drink at events using the Main Hall for tables, seating and dancing etc.  

• Kitchen facilities are included in the hire for Main Hall or Whole Building
• For party style or catered event bookings, the Green Room should only be used as a separate seating area, and/or an area for serving tables (buffet food, desserts, drinks, etc).
• The contents of the storage cupboards, and the youth-club equipment and games, are NOT included in hires, and we must insist that the hirer ensures they are NOT touched by attendees. 
• To help with this, folding dividing-screens are provided to separate these items.

HOLCOT VILLAGE HALL ACCESS STATEMENT:

• The Main Hall has been designed to welcome wheelchair-users
• There is a wide front door, with level threshold and ramp access from the street
• There is a spacious disabled toilet in the foyer, with baby changing facilities
• The width of kitchen counter access-hatch accommodates most wheelchairs.
• The Youth Games Room or Green Room has its own front steps, front door, and toilets, and these are NOT accessible for wheelchairs.
• There is level access through wide double doors between this Youth/Green Room area to the above wheelchair-friendly facilities of the Main Hall; available only should both the Main Hall and Green Room be booked.

A bouncy castle with height of 2.8m or less would fit anywhere in approximately two-thirds of the hall.

However, for any castle over 2.6m, the hirer would need to bring a tall stepladder to temporarily tie up some hanging lights which come down to 2.7m above the floor.

For castles taller than 2.8m, the constraint is that there are crossbars under the roof beams;

This means that any part of the castle which exceeded 2.8m would have to have fit in the gap between the cross-bars– i.e., the dimensions of any parts of the castle which exceeded 2.8m in height need to be no greater than 4.0m x 6.7m.”)

• We have flexible event dates and times to accommodate your schedule
• Resident rates are provided for all regular bookings, resident or non-resident. These rates apply for anticipated bookings of a minimum of 12 per year
• Regular Bookings benefit from quarterly Invoicing in arrears
• For Holcot residents who want to set-up a new regular user-group in the Village Hall (or to re-start a previous regular user-group that hasn’t met there in last 6 months): a special 'Taster Session' offer is available to get your group up and running and maybe provide free taster-sessions. Conditions apply - see FAQ

 Holcot Village Hall now makes a special offer to encourage Holcot Residents to trial a new - or re-born (1) - regular user group (2) in the hall. 

This is an opportunity to book 4 initial taster sessions WITHOUT HIRE CHARGE to provide these sessions.

Conditions: - 

• Sessions must be available to all residents (unless there’s an acceptable reason why not)
• The organising resident(s) must take every reasonable step to publicise the sessions - around the village as a minimum (website, posters, etc.)
• The proposal must come from a Holcot resident; they must be the responsible hirer for all the rent-free taster sessions
• The taster sessions Hirer must be present throughout all sessions
• The Booking Enquiry for these sessions must be in their name and address; however, the group leader may live outside the village, and may, if they wish, take over the hiring responsibility for any subsequent paid-for hirings following the taster sessions period.

Explanations: 

1. The offer to “re-born regular user groups” means a previous regular user group that hasn’t met in the hall in last 6 months 
2. “Regular user group” means a group, club or activity that would expect to rent the hall on a regular basis, with at least 12 pre-booked sessions each year