Welcome to Alford Corn Exchange

The Alford Corn Exchange is the very heart of the town and the place-to-be for public and
private events. Located on the central Market Place the building has been welcoming visitors
and the town's citizens for generations. Built in Italianate style in 1856, the Grade II
features a beautiful central lantern, a great sprung dance floor and stage.
We offer regular weekly events such as Zumba, Slimming World, Sunday Tea Dances, Short Mat
Bowls, Ballroom Dancing as well as Craft Markets, Antique Fairs, Coffee Morning Fund raisers
and Craft Fairs. We also organise numerous Theatre Shows, Film Nights, Race Nights, Dance and
Music Performances. For our current programme, please see the 'What's On' page.
The Corn Exchange is also available to hire for: birthday and anniversary parties, wedding
receptions, funeral teas, corporate & fundraising events or functions, auctions, sports &
club activities, meetings, conferences, recreational courses & classes.
If you are organising an event, please contact us and we will help you to make a success out
of your plans.
COVID-19 Important Information
We are delighted to have been able to open the venue again in July. We have undertaken a Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Control Risk Assessment and made changes to our procedures to enable the venue to open as Covid Secure for staff,
volunteers, and users.
There are extra measures that will need to be undertaken for anyone wishing to hire the venue to ensure compliance
with the current government guidance and to ensure the safety of their attendees and those using the venue after
them. Prior to any booking, the Hirer should read the following documents, in conjunction with the Hire
Application Form, made available by either downloading them from our website or will be given a copy of
our Coronavirus (Covid-19) Control Risk Assessment, and a copy of the Special Conditions of Hire during Covid-19,
which these conditions are a supplemental to, not a replacement of the Conditions and Regulations Governing the
Hiring of the Alford Corn Exchange. The Hirer will then be required to carry out their own Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Control Risk Assessment and a copy given to the Manager before any booking can be confirmed.
The following points below are just some of the key points the Hirer will need to consider when
wishing to hire the venue:-
- The Hirer will need to agree with the Manager, prior to any booking being confirmed, the maximum number of attendees that can attend the activity or event at any given time, to ensure the Hirer can maintain the required social distancing.
- The Hirer must ensure no one with COVID-19 symptoms enters the premises.
- The Hirer will be responsible for ensuring those attending their activity or event, comply with the COVID-19 Safety Guidelines while entering and occupying the venue, in particular the wearing of any face masks/coverings and any other PPE, and using the hand sanitiser supplied when entering the premises and social distancing.
- The Hirer will clean all surfaces before using and after with cleaning products provided with virucidal spray or ordinary domestic products. This will be made easier if the Hirer can minimize the areas their attendees come into contact with. Our cleaner is not available to do this between each hire.
- The Hirer must collect the contact details of all attendees to their activity or event in case they are needed for NHS Track and Trace, which has been mandated in law.
- We will have the right to close the hall if there are safety concerns relating to COVID-19, for example, if someone who has attended the hall develops symptoms and thorough cleansing is required or if it is reported that the Special Hiring Conditions during Covid-19 are not being complied with, whether by you or by other hirers, or in the event that public buildings are asked or required to close again. If this is necessary, we will do our best to inform you promptly and you will not be charged for this hire.
In practice, government legislation and guidelines, particularly those relating to social gatherings, mean that
until restrictions are eased there are still many limitations on activities and events that Hirers can run safely
at the venue.
The Alford Corn Exchange Committee undertakes best endeavours to establish the premises as Covid Secure, but it
is the responsibility of Hirers to ensure their activities within it are safe and do not compromise the safety of
others who may follow.
Notice of Postponement
Due to the current pandemic, it is not possible to hold our AGM at the present time. The Trustees would like this to be a face to face meeting (as it has been in previous years) so those attending can see the fantastic work first hand that has been carried out since our last AGM. With this in mind, it is hoped than an AGM can be rescheduled for early 2021 and we will let you know when a date has been fixed. The Corn Exchange is a registered charity and the Trustees are mindful of their responsibilities in this regard. If you click on this links below it will take you to the audited Accounts for the last financial year and the minutes of the AGM held in September 2019.