Dear Lorna,

 

In Cheltenham, we have three rooms.  All rooms are hired by the hour on the hour.  That time includes getting ready for the event and clearing up.  We have no wardens, and sometimes people do take advantaged.   For example I was gardening at the Meeting House and two members of a group entered at 5.45, I commented that they were early, so they asked if they could use the Meeting Room – our largest room, I said no, so they sat in the garden until 6.20 their hiring starts at 6.30.  Ever since if they see my car in the car parking space, they don’t enter, but sit in their cars!

 

I find just being very pleasant but firm to hirers, things jog along OK.

 

Regarding the hiring 11 – 1 and 2 – 5.  It is unlikely that you can ever fill that hour, so how about changing the rule to either, you have to pay for the hour, or if they are “valuable” hirers, let them have that time at half price?  Just had another thought, if it is a therapist, it could be they have equipment / stuff in which case they wouldn’t want to move it, so charge them.   Give them plenty of notice about changing the rules / pricing.

 

Best of luck,

 

Virginia.

 

 

 

From: Westminster Wardens <westminsterwardens@gmail.com>
Sent: 04 July 2025 15:47
To: Quaker Wardenship Support <wardenship@lists.quaker.eu.org>
Subject: [wardenship] How do you all structure your hire charges?

 

Dear all,

 

I'd love to know what structures you use for hire charges, please, and what advantages or problems you have with the systems you use.

 

At Westminster, the building is open for hire between 7 am and 10 pm.  We have ten hireable rooms (one out of commission at the mo), and loads and loads of different hirers, and so for ease of admin we have generally offered hires in three ways:

  • Three big ground floor rooms are offered by session: morning, afternoon and evening.  You hire the whole session, regardless of how long your event is.
  • Five smaller rooms are offered by the day or half-day:  7 am to 3 pm/3 pm to 10 pm.
  • Two rooms are hired exclusively by two hirers, so are on a separate charging system.

However, we're now looking at different ways to hire the five smaller rooms, as there's now so many exceptions to the standard pattern that we'd like to simplify things.

 

So, my questions: 

  • If you hire by the hour, even with a 2-hour minimum, do you do anything to prevent people just cherry-picking the "best" slots and leaving unuseable patches of time in between?  Eg a therapist paying for 11am-1pm, then 2pm-5pm, and not paying for lunchtime.
  • Do you charge less for less popular times?
  • Have you got any different ways of structuring hire times?

with all my best,

Lorna.

 

 

Lorna Richardson

Premises Coordinator

 

Westminster Quaker Meeting House 

07897 591961

Please note I am part-time; I don't expect anyone to respond outside their own normal working hours.