Hall User Bulletin March 2022

Change is coming once again as Covid restrictions ease yet further so it seemed like a good time to send a little note out to everyone who uses the halls at Westwood Parish Church.

The first thing we want to say is “Thank You!”  thank you for treating the halls respectfully and leaving them tidy and secure behind you.  The halls are in steady use and very few issues have arisen since increased use began in the autumn of 2021.

You may have noticed already that the Check-in Scotland posters have been removed from notice boards.  On Monday 21^st March Test and Protect came to an end so the need to record your presence on premises no longer exists.  Other measures like the social distance marking on the floors will be removed in time.  That’s going to be a fiddly sticky job!!

One thing that has worked well during this time has been the online checking out form.  For the most part is serves as a simple reminder of the things that need done when you are leaving the halls.  For the most part then it means that the halls are pretty much ready for whoever comes in after you.  Of course, it’s not perfect but it works sufficiently well that we are going to keep it in operation and ask you to continue checking out with that online Hall User Form.

There are some things worth highlighting here and we want you to know how we are trying to address them.

On occasion floors are mopped by a previous hall user and are therefore wet and slippery for the next hall user coming in.  The Kirk Session is enquiring into low moisture cleaning equipment that is easy to use and leaves the floors dry.  If we can find and invest in the right kind of equipment the issue of wet floors will be resolved.

We have been made aware that particularly in the Duncanrig Hall chairs can be left stacked 6 & 7 high. Anything above 4 chairs can become unstable and potentially fall on someone so please be mindful of this when clearing up.  The online check out form has already been amended just to jog your memory on this one! And please bear in mind that Westwood Church does not have a caretaker making sure the hall is ready and safe for you coming in.  Take the time to check your surrounding for hazards like stacks of chairs that are too high and sort it out before you begin your meeting.  Don’t leave it unsafe just because you found it that way.  Safety is everyone’s concern and everyone’s responsibility.  Naturally we don’t expect you to be addressing gas or electrical safety issues; these are entirely the responsibility of the church and require qualified people to fix them.  We do still encourage you to report any issues you find with the halls e.g., lights that are not working, leaks on radiators or toilets, flooring that is unsafe.  Issues of that nature can be reported to [email protected]

Bins… Under Covid prevention guidance we tried to avoid organisations having to handle each other’s waste as the bins presented a potential contact surface. This is much less of a concern now so we are offering you new advice. Each hall has two bins. One will be used by FAB OSC and may or may not be empty when you come into the halls. The other bin (which ever one happens to be empty; it may be blue or black) is for organisations to use and you should empty it at the end of your meeting. FAB OSC will empty their waste as appropriate.

We are still working on clearing a small hall of the extra seating no longer needed in the sanctuary. The intention is to get those chairs stored in the basement of the church. It will take time and a lot of manpower to do that (hope that’s not a sexist comment!) You may also have noticed that the projector in the Duncanrig Hall has expired. For those wanting to use audio visual there is a large screen TV in the small hall – the one with all the chairs… Yes, it’s not the best. We need to get this sorted.

And lastly… we ask you to notify us of any holidays or cancellations that your organisation will be taking from its meetings.  We all know that energy prices are rising steeply and there is a real need to keep the church heating bills down. So, if we have the opportunity to turn it down or turn it off, please help us to do that.

We do hope that you have found this short bulletin helpful.  We may repeat this in the future at various intervals to keep you up-to-date and informed.

In the meantime, we express our thanks again for being a valued part of the life and activity of Westwood Church. If any question arise you can email the church office.

Tags: Church Admin