Managing and maintaining your premises

You have found the right premises, and are getting ready to move.  This section identifies the things you need to think about before you move in, and the things you will need to do when you are in occupation. It highlights the key questions, and provides answers, usually through providing a link to high quality information, guidance and support.

Some of the key questions to think about  – before you move in, and when you are in occupation -  include:

  • Do you need to do any alterations and improvements?  If so, how to project manage them.
  • Which policies, procedures and systems do you need to have in place – e.g. health and safety policies, sustainability policies; licences and permissions, insurances, etc?  How do you keep these policies ‘live’ during your time in these premises?
  • How do you ensure promote equality, diversity and accessibility, and ensure your building can be used by all sections of the population
  • Are you going to hire or let out space, and if so what agreements are needed?
  • How do you ensure that staff, management committee members and volunteers have the skills needed to run the building successfully?
  • How to budget – running costs and income
  • How to keep the premises well maintained
  • How to deal with repairs

For answers to these questions about managing and maintaining premises use the links below to the following sections on the Premises Factfinder website:

Building or improving premises

Professional advice

The Premises Fact Finder on the MyCommmunitySpace website is a key source of information to which we will refer you frequently.  It is a specialist premises website for the community and voluntary sector.   The information is organised around the typical questions that people from the third sector ask, and also identifies sources of specialist professional help and other resources.

This part of VAI’s website aims to help you use this and other source of information in the most efficient and productive way, and also provides additional information that you will not find on other websites.

See the Additional Information Section for further information on a range of issues including:

  • Where to look for premises in Islington, and understanding the Islington property market
  • Where to look for funding
  • How to decide how much to charge when you are hiring or renting out your premises
  • Community Hubs in Islington
  • Asset transfer
  • Working collaboratively
  • Where you can find model policies to use

Information developed by Voluntary Action Islington’s Community Buildings Project
Funded by the Big Lottery