Halls and Venues to hire in Streatham, Clapham, Battersea London!

Organising a children's party is tricky enough without doing tons of research on hall hire in London!  That is why I have put this post together as I have had lots of clients asking for my advice about halls to hire for a children's Birthday party in Streatham, Battersea, Clapham and surrounding areas.

As lots of my clients book their children’s Birthday Party in halls and venues around Streatham, Clapham, Wimbledon and Battersea in London I have put together a list of some good venues that are local, have ample space and can be hired on weekends. 

 As well as this, these halls to hire in SW London are very reasonably priced and some come with great added extras such as staff to help set up and pack away, music equipment, kitchenettes and tables and chairs!

Some things to think about when hiring a hall:

•  Do your research – some halls may advertise a great rate but when it comes to booking on a popular weekend day the price could shoot up!

• Book well in advance.  The most popular venues often get booked up well in advance and you may end up having to hold your child’s Birthday party a few weeks after their big day.

• Always ask the venue what is included in the price.  Sometimes venues and halls will charge you for the use of their equipment such as tables and chairs.

• Size of the hall.  If it is to big for the amount of children coming, they could end up running all over the room and the entertainment will be that much harder!

• Acoustics.  Some halls can echo and with parents and children filling the hall you may have to shout to be heard. 

• Decorating the venue.  Some venues will have decorations you can use but if not, buying enough decorations to make a large hall attractive can be hard work AND costly.

• Parking – very important, especially in London! Always find out how many parking spaces the venue has, and if there are any good local car parks in the area.

• Most importantly – always try and see the hall or venue before you pay a deposit on it! You do not want to be disappointed or stressed on the day of the party!

Venues / Halls to Hire

·     PAPAS Park, Brixton.  Mon – Sat.  £30 hourly rate  http://papaspark.org/hall-hire/    (Discount if you are a member)

·     St Pauls Church Hall, SW4.  Book 7 days a week.  £30 hourly rate  http://www.stpaulssw4.org/church-hall   

·     Church of the Holy Spirit Church Hall.  Available weekends.  £29 hourly rate  http://www.holyspirit-clapham.org.uk/contact-centre   
 

·    Chatham Hall.  Available 7 days a week – a favourite!  £42 hourly rate http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/200021/community_centres_and_facilities/243/chatham_hall_hire 

·     Romany Scout Hut.  Weekend bookings.  £30 hourly rate   http://www.scoutinginwandsworth.co.uk/hall-hire/  

·     Bees Knees Room at Battersea Arts Centre.  Weekend bookings – Another favourite!! Min spend is £180 for four hours  https://www.bac.org.uk/content/16326/hire_us/spaces/bees_knees_room/bees_knees_room   
  

I hope this information is helpful for you!  If you have any other suggestions I would love to hear from you! Alternatively, if you would like some information on venue hire in another area I will write my next blog on this.

Thanks for reading!!

Emma at Once Upon A Time Parties

info@onceuponatimeparties-london.co.uk

07969841770

Party at home? Things to think about 2 weeks before the Birthday Party

Following on from my last blog on things to think about a couple of months before the BIG day, here are some things to think about around 3 weeks before the party.

Selecting a theme for the Party

Most children love typical fairy, princess, pirate, superhero, animal themes at their party.  Encourage originality!!

Book an Entertainer

Most entertainers get booked up quite far in advance if they are good so you will want to make sure that you book a good one! Friends, family and social media are good places to get referrals!

Plan Party Games and activities!

If you are deciding not to have an entertainer, it is a very good idea to make a list of the activities and games you are going to do - and in what order.  The order is surprisingly important and often overlooked! For instance, you do not want to encourage the children to do a running / dancing game straight after their party food or you might have some horrible 'extras' to clear away...

Crafts are an excellent party activity and can often be incorporated into a take home gift... Please check my previous blog posts for some cool ideas or check in the future as I will be sharing a lot more craft ideas with my readers :)

Purchase your party supplies

My advice is to do this sooner rather than later in case you find you need to get more supplies closer to the time.  The main areas to think about are tableware, decorations and party bags and supplies.  I have lots of tips on these main areas in previous posts!

REMEMBER - This should be fun and your child(ren) will love helping you and feeling a part of the process... So enjoy!

For information on what our entertainment packages include please contact Emma at Once Upon A Time Parties on info@onceuponatimeparties-london.co.uk or 07969 841770

We provide fully insured and CRB checked entertainers including games, music, theme, interactive storytelling, dancing, singing, themes, a glitter make over, crafts, prizes, sweets and a gift for the Birthday Child!

Party at Home - Things to think about 2 months before the big day!

Planning the Party

• Think about which room / rooms to use in the house and if you have the space! Parents and brothers and sisters often stay on at the party so you may have more guests than you planned!
• How many children are going to be invited? Plan the room accordingly and add a plus one for the mums!
• Does your child have a favourite character or hobby on which to base a theme on?
• If you are planning an outdoor summer party in the garden, do you have cover if the weather changes?
• Pets. They may be the soppiest animal on the planet but some children will be scared of cats and dogs! Plus loud noises are not ideal for your animal so you may want to think about putting them in a separate room or leaving them with a trusted friend.
• Are you planning on hiring an entertainer or a bouncy castle? If so now is the time to book!

Invitations   

• Confirm names and numbers of guests
• Include an RSVP on the invite with a contact name, telephone and date you need to reply by.  Always include directions to your house and any key features to look out for!
• Include clear start and finishing times
• Parking instructions are a must.
• Include the theme of the party on the invitation and if children should wear fancy dress or old clothes if there are going to be messy crafts and games!

Food

• Are you going to be serving a meal at the party, or nibbles and snacks? 
• Where will the guests be eating their meal?  If space is an issue, a buffet table and floor space will suffice for children, or plan for a table and chairs.
• Don't forget to think about how many chairs and tables you will need for lots of guests!
• Decide if you are going to use an outside caterer.  If so, two months before the party is a good time to book to ensure you get a good caterer!
• Remember to get some adult friendly snacks for the mums and dads!

Cake

• If you are getting a custom made birthday cake start thinking of what kind of design your child would like and do some research!  Ask bakers for some previous examples and book well ahead of time.

Read my blog tomorrow for some tips on a venue at home to think about 2 - 3 weeks before the big day!!

Thanks for reading :)

Once Upon A Time Parties xx

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