Binfield Memorial Hall's management committee has responded to allegations made by Binfield pre-school bosses after the pre-school moved out of the site.

In a letter to the committee, pre-school boss Emma Hone blamed new terms and conditions for the decision to leave the Hall.

Her letter also contained allegations about rats, mould and other issues.

The Hall's committee disputed these allegations and has written a letter in response to Mrs Hone's claims. 

Mrs Hone has stated in her letter that the pre-school has left the Memorial Hall as a result of new terms and conditions that are unacceptable and would add stress to its staff.

The additions to the terms and conditions do not include any additional fines as stated by Mrs Hone. The only ‘fine’ in the existing terms and conditions covers the opening of the alarmed doors and Mrs Hone has claimed that she has been charged this fine. This is unequivocally untrue - the pre-school has never been fined for anything. There was a request at the end of 2018 for them to reimburse the Hall for the loss of a booking fee which had resulted from pre-school taking the Hall keys home instead of placing them at the Club for the next users. After finally obtaining the keys, the Trustees could not charge the next users as they had only a small proportion of their booking left. The pre-school was asked to reimburse the fee - we had no response but rather than make an issue of it, the Trustees did not pursue it. 

The additions to the terms and conditions (which are for all users not just the pre-school) include A) an advisory that the Hall is not licensed for downloading BBC material from the net

B) A provision asking users that any phone number being used in the Hall should when used on any of their stationery, make it clear that it is the user’s phone, not the Memorial Hall’s. 

C) Existing terms and conditions state that all storage belongs to the Hall and a spare key for all storage should be lodged with the Trustees in case of emergency - the new terms and conditions include all outside storage also, mirroring the conditions for inside storage. These three are the only minor changes made. 

The pre-school has not been asked not to have their post delivered - it was stated that they could but at their own risk as they receive a quantity of confidential mail which it is assumed relates to the children. 

There was a mouse problem in 2018 which was cured by a professional and there has been no repeat of that problem. Equally, the mould problem has been dealt with but the stains left will be dealt with at the next redecoration. 

There were many other allegations, some our word against hers, but most can be refuted by written evidence in the Hall’s files. 

In making this attack (apparently on the Chairperson), Mrs. Hone is impugning the integrity of all the other Trustees who are a party to all decisions made and who give their time voluntarily to keep the Hall running. 
 

The pre-school, which operated from both the Memorial Hall and its Jocks Lane site, will now operate solely from the latter.