FAQ

The Ripple Centre is a modern venue perfect for formal functions such as conferences and meetings, clubs and social group activities and family celebrations such as birthday parties, naming ceremonies and wedding receptions.

We have a large hall, 3 comfortable meeting rooms and a smart boardroom.
The foyer, a glass fronted space facing onto a busy main road, is available for art exhibitions including a number of other public spaces within the Centre.
For formal occasions that take place at the weekend the foyer may also be available as part of your booking. This is the perfect space to welcome guests as they arrive. This must be agreed in advance with a member of the events team.

We welcome a variety of artwork by local and regional artists including print, painting, photography and drawing. Further details are available from the Operations & Business Development Manager (Ripple Centre) on 020 8532 7323.

Provisional bookings can be held for up to a maximum of 5 working days* from the date of the initial enquiry.
If you do not confirm a booking within the 5 working days*, the date will be released immediately and the booking will be cancelled.
To confirm a booking you must return a signed booking form and pay 50% of the total booking cost within 5 working days* of the initial enquiry.
For block bookings you must return a signed booking form and make full payment including the security bond (if applicable) 4 weeks in advance of the date of the first event.
Once the booking form and deposit have been received we will contact you in writing to confirm the booking. No booking is confirmed until confirmation has been issued by the Ripple Centre.
The remaining balance and security bond will be due no later than 10 working days before the date of the event.
*Working days represents Monday to Friday and excludes Saturday and Sunday

A security bond of £200.00 for all hall bookings is taken to secure against:
• damage and breakages in the Ripple Centre
• any additional cleaning should the Ripple Centre not be satisfied with the condition that the space is left in
• unauthorised overrun of time beyond the agreed finish time
A security bond may be taken at the discretion of the Ripple Centre for any meeting room bookings depending upon the purpose of the booking.
The security bond will be returned after the booking, so long as the Hirer has satisfied the above points.
Security bonds can only be returned by cheque or bank transfer

A 50% deposit is payable in advance for all bookings over £50.00.
Payment for block bookings must be made 4 weeks in advance of the date of the first booking.
Payment of the outstanding balance and security bond must be received by no later than 10 working days* from the date of the booking.
For regular usage full payment of the invoice is due within 30 days.

*Working days represents Monday to Friday and excludes Saturday and Sunday

Payment can be made by card, cash or cheque and you can bring this to the Ripple Centre between 9.00am and 4.30pm Monday – Friday.
If you are paying by cheque it should be made payable to Barking & Dagenham CVS.
If you would like to make payment by bank transfer we can provide you with our bank details on request.
We do accept debit or credit cards.

Hall hire includes:
• An adjoining kitchen with fridge and oven
• Tables and chairs
• Modern sound system for CDs with an Ipod connection (not available for private parties)
• 2 wireless microphones(not available for private parties)
• Private and secure car park (parking is limited Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm)
• Reception service to meet and direct guests (Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm only)
• Caretaker on site (weekend and evening bookings only)
• Stage lighting for professional theatre or drama groups only.

You must have or make arrangements for a qualified technician to operate the system on the date of your booking. We can organise for your technician to visit the Centre in advance to view the equipment. Coloured filters for the lights, if required, will need to be provided and fitted by the hirer.

Meeting Room hire includes:
• Interactive Tv screen
• Laptop (if required)
• Projector (if required)
• Flipchart and pens (if required)
• Whiteboard and pens (if required)
• Tea and coffee chargeable at £ 2.50 per head (Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm bookings only) (if required)
• Communal area for refreshment and meal breaks
• Reception service to meet and direct guests (Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm only)
• Private and secure car park (parking is limited Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm)
• Caretaker on site (evening and weekend bookings only)
• Room set-up in advance and in the style agreed with the Hirer

The Ripple Centre offers 4 tariffs (i) community group (ii) voluntary organisation (iii) public sector and (iv) commercial / private hire.
The community group rate is a subsidised rate for groups/associations with an annual income of less than £10,000.
The voluntary organisation rate is for organisations with an annual income of more than £10,000.
The funds generated from commercial/private venue hire are a vital source of income for the Ripple Centre and enables us to support local voluntary and community groups who use the centre to run their activities by offering them a subsidised rate. We therefore try and maximise revenue from events and other commercial activities.

• Cancellations must be received by the Ripple Centre in writing and will be effective from the date received by the Ripple Centre.
• The Hirer would be charged as follows:
• More than 20 working days* notice from the date of the booking there would be no charge
• Between 10 and 20 working days* notice from the date of the booking we would charge 50% of the total booking cost excluding the security bond
• 9 working days* or less notice from the date of the booking we would charge 100% of the total booking cost excluding the security bond

In accordance with Health & Safety regulations each space in the Ripple Centre has a maximum occupant capacity dependent upon the layout.
You should refer to the ‘Ripple Centre Occupant Capacity’ document for more information.

• Wireless internet access is available throughout the Centre.
• The hall is equipped with a projector and screen and a sound/PA system. A laptop is available on request as is a flipchart and pens if required. The hall layout is flexible and you should refer to the ‘Ripple Centre Occupant Capacity’ document for more information.
• The Meeting Rooms can be booked individually or combined, please refer to the ‘Ripple Centre Occupant Capacity’ document for more information. There is a whiteboard in each room and interactive TV screen, laptop, projector, flipchart and pens can be provided on request.

Hall set-up and clear-down is the responsibility of the Hirer, including setting out and putting away all of the Centre’s tables and chairs used by the Hirer. A duty caretaker is on site during evening and weekend bookings and can provide assistance if required.
The meeting rooms can be set-up in advance by the Ripple Centre and in the style agreed with the Hirer. Changes to the set-up should be made by the duty caretaker or a member of CVS staff to avoid any damage to the furniture.

Monday – Friday 9.00 am – 5.00pm a member of the bookings team will be available to meet the hirer and deal with any queries relating to the booking.
Unfortunately no staff will be available during these hours to assist with hall set up or clear down which is the responsibility of the Hirer.
A duty caretaker will be on site for evening and weekend bookings. The duty caretaker has a number of responsibilities:
• To check on health and safety matters (e.g. that fire exits are kept clear)
• To deal with any problems or issues relating to the building
• To ensure that the hire conditions are adhered to
• To look after the building
• To deal with any emergency cleaning (e.g. broken glass on the floor)
• To lock up the building at the end of the event
• To help in any other way, within reason!

The Ripple Centre has a private and secure car park with 29 marked bays and is located on St Erkenwald Road behind the Centre. As the Ripple Centre is also the location for a number of working offices parking is restricted at certain times during the week, see below.
Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm – parking is restricted to a maximum of 3 hours
Monday – Friday 5pm – 12midnight – hirers will receive access to the car park.
Saturday and Sunday – the hirer and their guests will receive full access to the Ripple Centre car park.

• No you will need to hire your own catering company and it will be your responsibility to communicate the venue hire terms and conditions before the event to any external suppliers that you choose.
• Use of the kitchen adjoining the hall is inclusive in the hall hire cost. The kitchen space is limited and offers 2 stainless steel sinks with drainers and a moderate size work surface. There is a hot and cold water supply and a hot water dispenser that can provide for up to 200 people. We have a large fan assisted oven and a fridge.
• Caterers should bring any additional equipment that they need but they cannot bring barbeque equipment or any equipment that requires flammable liquids/gases to operate onto or into the premises and this includes the car park.
• All equipment should be less than 12 months old or have been electrically PAT tested within the last 12 months. Evidence of this should be given to the venue. If such evidence is not provided, the equipment may not be allowed on to the premises on the day of the booking.

• Yes and it will be your responsibility to communicate the venue hire terms and conditions before the event to any external suppliers that you choose.
• Any equipment brought in should be less than 12 months old or been electrically PAT tested within the last 12 months. Evidence of this should be given to the venue. If such evidence is not provided, the equipment may not be allowed on to the premises on the day of the booking.

The start of your hire period as agreed on the booking form will mark the point at which any external suppliers that you have hired may access the venue.

• How you decorate the space is entirely your choice but you must not erect any exhibitions, stands, displays, freestanding advertising material or signs or any other items in the premises without prior agreement of the Ripple Centre.
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• You or your decorator must not fix or stick any materials, posters, decorations etc to any wall, the floor or ceiling and where appropriate, the aforementioned may be removed by the duty caretaker or a member of CVS. All decorations must be freestanding
• Helium balloons are permitted within the venue as long as they are weighted down. All balloons should be removed or punctured and disposed of at the end of the booking.

• No, all setup, breakdown and deliveries must be on the day / evening of your event and within the contracted hire period of your booking as agreed on the booking form.
• Use of the room(s) detailed on the booking form does not imply any right for the Hirer to use any other part of the building, for deliveries, storage or any other access.

• No. The Ripple Centre does not have any suitable or secure storage space so all setup, breakdown and deliveries must be on the day / evening of your event and within the contracted hire period of your booking as agreed on the booking form.

• We have a changing room that can be booked in advance. This is only available when hiring the hall. The room will remain unlocked and unstaffed during your booking and items are left at the owner’s risk.

• No, everything must be removed at the end of the booking. The Ripple Centre will not accept responsibility for any items left overnight. Any items found will be held as lost property. If these are not claimed and collected within one week of the booking they will either be donated to a local charity shop or placed in the rubbish bins. If there is any cost incurred by the Ripple Centre this will be charged to the hirer and deducted from the security bond.

• No, but you can book the changing room which is only available when hiring the hall. The room will remain unlocked and unstaffed during your booking and items are left at the owner’s risk.

No flammable liquids or gases are permitted on any part of the premises including the car park and therefore outdoor barbeque cooking in the car park is not permitted.

You may have battery powered candles only. We do not allow any naked flames in the premises.

The Ripple Centre is strictly non-smoking in line with the Smoke-free England Legislation. This also includes the car park.

Due to the fallout of debris from fireworks and out of consideration to our neighbours fireworks are not permitted at any events at the Ripple Centre. We do not allow indoor fireworks.

• All public areas of the Ripple Centre are fully accessible for disabled and elderly guests.
• All floors are fully accessible to wheelchair users via lifts. The stairs have handrails.

• The Centre does not have a bar on-site. One can be set-up and operated by the hirer’s caterer provided that the hirer is paying for all the alcohol and cash is not paid for drinks.
• If you want a cash bar then you must obtain a Temporary Event Notice.

• Tables and chairs are inclusive of the hall and meeting room hire. You may hire your own furniture but delivery and collection must be made on the day / evening of your event and within the contracted hire period of your booking as agreed on the booking form. There is no reduction in price if you choose to hire your own equipment.
• Catering equipment is usually hired by the caterer but can also be hired by the client.

• The venue is in a residential area and Hirers are responsible for ensuring that the level of noise audible outside must be limited to protect local residents from disturbance and does not interfere with other activities within the building. Windows and external doors must be kept closed when music is being played. These requirements must be brought to the attention of any such musician, performer, or disc jockey by the Hirer.
• For events finishing at 12.00midnight, the Hirer should ensure that music ceases at 11.00pm or is reduced to a moderate level.
• The Hirer and any musician, performer, or disc jockey who is involved in the event will comply with any noise reduction requests from the Ripple Centre’s duty caretaker or member of CVS staff.

• We are not able to extend events beyond midnight. For each hour, or part hour, after 12 midnight that the Hirer and their guests remain on the premises beyond the hours agreed, £150.00 will be charged.

• We produce signage for bookings that take place Monday – Friday and access to the building is monitored by the reception.
• For weekend bookings it is the responsibility of the Hirer or appointed person for ensuring that only invitees to the event are admitted, that the maximum occupant capacity is not exceeded and for the consequences of any breach of security. Entrances must either be left secure or be attended by a responsible person at all times.
• A duty caretaker will be on site for evening and weekend bookings. The duty caretaker has a number of responsibilities, see above, but managing the hirer’s invitees/guests is not one of them.

• It will be the responsibility of the Hirer to ensure that the hall and/or rooms, foyer/reception and car park remain clean, tidy and undamaged for the duration of the booking. Should the Ripple Centre not be satisfied with the condition the hall and/or rooms are left in, an extra charge will be made at the discretion of the Ripple Centre management.
• Hirers are required to remove any unused food and drink. We are willing to deal with a reasonable amount of refuse which should be bagged and tied securely and placed in the large bins which are situated within the walled area of the car park.
• We cannot accept any other types of waste such as empty crates or large cardboard boxes that cannot be bagged and placed in the bins provided and these must be removed by you.
• We will charge you for any additional costs incurred for the removal of waste relating to your event.
• We don’t expect clients to do any major cleaning but if there are any spillages during the event please inform the duty caretaker immediately. Hirers are asked to wipe down the tables and chairs at the end of the event before they place them back in the store room.