Hiring equipment from the Resource Centre

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about our equipment hire service.

Go to our Equipment section to browse our equipment or make a booking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is different about the service during Covid-19?
Who can use the equipment hire service?
How do we book equipment?
How much is the deposit and when do you need it?
When can we pick up the equipment?
When can we return it?
Is your equipment insured?
Do you provide risk assessments for your equipment?
Can we pay with a credit card?
Can I hire your equipment for a private party?

What is different about the service during Covid-19?

Our equipment hire service will be open from May 24th 2021. Because of ongoing safety considerations in the Covid-19 pandemic, we are running the service with the following limits:

Only groups in Brighton and Hove can hire equipment
A maximum of 8 items of equipment can be hired by any group (except for member groups who can still hire an unlimited number of items)
The equipment hire service is only open on Mondays and Fridays.
Equipment can be collected on Mondays and Fridays between 1pm and 3.30pm; equipment can be returned on Mondays and Fridays between 9am and 12pm.
A limited number of groups will be allowed into the Centre at any time, in order to maintain social distancing. You may be asked to wait outside.
Your group will be given a suggested time to arrive at the Centre to collect/return equipment. Please stick to this as much as possible to limit queuing times.
We are not hiring out the bouncy castle.

Who can use the equipment hire service?

The service is for any community or voluntary group based in Brighton and Hove. Private individuals and businesses can’t hire our equipment.

It’s a way for community groups to share resources, rather than each group having to buy and store large or expensive items. We aim to provide useful, practical resources that are well-maintained. If you have any problems with our equipment, or suggestions for how we could improve the service, please let us know.

Our hire charges are very low, because we are a not-for-profit charity and our work is supported by grant funding. We provide instructions and training on how to use the equipment, but you need to make your own arrangements for transporting, setting up, safely using and storing the equipment while you have it on hire. Please help us to keep the service running smoothly by making sure you bring equipment back on time.

How do we book equipment?

Groups can book equipment up to six months in advance. With the Covid-19 situation, we know groups may need to change or cancel their plans. Please let us know as soon as possible if you want to change anything about your booking.

Advance booking is essential for Christmas and summer events.

Check our leaflet or browse our full range of equipment online – you can go through an A to Z listing or look through the list of categories.
Decide which items you’d like to hire. Please note there are limits on the number of items each group can hire: maximum 8 items in total (except for member groups) and some limits on number of items from each category.
Think about when you can arrange transport to collect equipment from us and return it to us after your event. You can collect equipment from us on Monday and Thursday afternoons, and return equipment to us on Monday and Thursday mornings.
Contact us to check if the items you want are available on the dates you want. You can request items by adding them to your basket on our itemised equipment pages and submitting a booking request form, or you can phone or e-mail the Centre.
We’ll check the availability and make the booking. If you submit a booking request form or email us, we will always get back to you to confirm the booking. Don’t assume you have booked the equipment until you hear from us.
If you want to cancel or change anything about your booking, please let us know.

How much is the deposit and when do you need it?

When you collect your equipment, you need to leave a deposit of £50. This can be paid by cash, cheque or credit/debit card. Cheques should be made out to B&H SWET Ltd.

If you are borrowing a laptop, data projector, digital camera or video camera we need a £50 deposit plus proof of address.

We will return your deposit once you have returned the equipment and we have checked it.

When can we pick up the equipment?

You will need to pick up your equipment between 1pm and 3.30pm on a Monday or a Friday. Because of Covid-19, we can only allow a limited number of groups into the Centre at any one time, so you will be given a suggested arrival time to help keep queuing to a minimum.

Please allow time to fill in our hire form, and for the person on the front desk to show you how to use the equipment. Bring your £50 deposit with you.

There are two loading bays in Tilbury Place which you can park in to collect and return equipment. There are also 2 disabled bays available.

When can we return it?

You will need to return your equipment between 9am and 12pm on a Monday or a Friday. Because of Covid-19, we can only allow a limited number of groups into the Centre at any one time, so you will be given a suggested arrival time to help keep queuing to a minimum.

Please return equipment on time and in good condition. The equipment you are returning might be booked out for another group to collect on the same day.

Is your equipment insured?

No. Our insurance does not cover the transport or use of our equipment when it is outside the building. You will be asked to sign a hire agreement when you collect the equipment, accepting full responsibility for the equipment on behalf of your group.

If the equipment is lost, stolen or damaged when it is in your care, we will charge your group for the cost of replacement or repair.

The hire of our equipment does not include public liability insurance. Your group is responsible for arranging that where necessary. We keep a list of several insurers which will provide Public Liability insurance to community groups. If you require insurance for the Bouncy Castle, you can get this from Leisure Insure – they charge around £17/day and you can get a quote and pay on-line.

For more information about safety, liability and our equipment, see Resource Centre Equipment Hire Policy and Procedures.

Do you provide risk assessments for your equipment?

We provide sample risk assessments for our Bouncy Castle, Popcorn Machine, Tug of War and Candy Floss Machines. We suggest that you use these to give you ideas when carrying out your own risk assessment. Your risk assessment should be specific to your event and organisation.

Bouncy Castle sample risk assessment (Word)
Bouncy Castle sample risk assessment (PDF)
Candy Floss Machine sample risk Assessment (Word)
Candy Floss Machine sample risk assessment (PDF)
Popcorn Machine sample risk assessment (Word)
Popcorn Machine sample risk assessment (PDF)
Smoothie Bike sample risk assessment (Word)
Smoothie Bike sample risk assessment (PDF)
Tug of War sample risk assessment (Word)
Tug of War sample risk assessment (PDF)

Several other organisations also provide useful advice on carrying out risk assessments.

Can we pay with a credit card?

Yes, we can take card and contactless payments in the Centre for any amount over £1. We can’t take card payments over the phone or online. We prefer payment by cash, cheque or bank transfer, as we have to pay a fee for each transaction by debit/credit card.

Can I hire your equipment for a private party?

No, our equipment is only available for hire to community and voluntary groups, based in Sussex. We do not hire equipment out to individuals or businesses that are run for profit.