If you use one of our facilities regularly, there are two ways to book: Regular Hire or Flexible Online Booking.
The best option depends on whether having the same guaranteed slot each week or having more flexibility is most important to you.
YMCA Regular Hire
Regular Hire is designed for individuals, clubs, groups and organisations who want to use one of our facilities at the same regular day and time.
Your agreed slot is reserved for you, giving you the reassurance that it will be available each week.
How Regular Hire works
- Your agreed regular slot is reserved for you.
- You pay a fixed monthly amount by automatic recurring payment.
- Your agreed hire price is fixed for 12 months.
- Bank Holidays and planned YMCA closures are taken into account when your price is calculated.
- Term-time only bookings can be taken into account when calculating price.
- Your monthly payment stays the same, whether there are four or five booking weeks in the month.
- For Astro bookings, floodlighting is included in your price where required.
Your Regular Hire price is calculated using the number of sessions available to you during the year. The total cost is then divided into 12 equal monthly payments.
This gives you one predictable monthly payment rather than different amounts depending on the number of sessions in each month.
What happens if I can’t attend?
Regular Hire is payment for your reserved regular slot, rather than payment for individual sessions.
If you choose not to use a session, your monthly payment remains the same and missed or cancelled sessions are not normally refunded or credited.
Please still let us know if you will not be attending as this helps us manage our facilities.
We understand that exceptional circumstances can arise, and refund requests may be considered individually. This does not affect your statutory rights.
If YMCA Taunton cancels a session, we will refund the amount attributable to that session. Where available, you may choose an alternative booking instead.
Flexible Online Booking
Regular Hire will not suit everyone.
If you do not need the same guaranteed slot each week, you can book individual sessions through our online booking system instead.
With Flexible Online Booking:
- You choose and pay for individual sessions.
- You can book from the available times shown online.
- The normal online booking and cancellation rules apply.
- You can rearrange eligible bookings in line with the online booking terms.
- You can benefit from any applicable online booking loyalty rewards.
The key difference is that a particular day and time is not reserved for you, so the same slot cannot be guaranteed from week to week.
Which option should I choose?
Regular Hire may suit you if:
You use the facility regularly, want the same day and time, and having that slot guaranteed is important to you.
Flexible Online Booking may suit you if:
Your plans change from week to week, you do not need a guaranteed slot, or you would rather book and pay for sessions individually.
Setting up Regular Hire
Regular Hire needs to be agreed with YMCA Taunton before it can be set up.
We will confirm:
- the facility you are hiring
- your regular day and time
- your fixed monthly payment
- what is included
- your agreement start date and cancellation notice arrangements
- any other arrangements specific to your booking
Once agreed, we will send you a link to set up your automatic monthly payment.
Please read our Regular Hire Terms before completing your setup.
Interested in Regular Hire?
If you would like to enquire about reserving a regular slot, please contact YMCA Taunton. Regular Hire is subject to availability and agreement with YMCA Taunton.
Regular Hire FAQs
What is YMCA Regular Hire?
Regular Hire allows you to reserve an agreed facility at the same regular day and time.
Instead of booking each session separately, your slot is held for you and you make a fixed monthly payment.
Is Regular Hire the same as booking individual sessions online?
No.
Regular Hire reserves an agreed recurring slot specifically for you. Flexible Online Booking allows you to choose individual sessions from the availability shown online.
Do I have to choose Regular Hire if I use a facility regularly?
No. If you prefer to book individual sessions and do not need a guaranteed weekly slot, you can use our online booking system instead.
How is my monthly Regular Hire price calculated?
We calculate the sessions that are due to be available to you during the agreed year, taking account of planned YMCA closures and Bank Holidays.
The annual amount is then divided into 12 equal monthly payments.
This means your monthly payment stays the same even when some months contain more booking weeks than others.
Will my price increase during the year?
Your agreed Regular Hire price is fixed for 12 months.
We will notify you in advance of any proposed price changes after the initial 12-month period.
How do I pay?
Regular Hire is paid automatically each month through our online recurring payment system.
We will send you a link to set this up once your Regular Hire arrangement has been agreed.
What happens in a five-week month?
Nothing changes. Your monthly payment remains the same.
Your annual hire cost is divided into 12 equal payments, so you do not pay extra simply because a month contains five of your usual booking days.
Do I pay for Bank Holidays?
No. If YMCA is closed on a Bank Holiday that falls on your regular booking day, this is taken into account when your Regular Hire price is calculated.
What about YMCA’s planned Christmas closure?
Planned YMCA closures are taken into account when we calculate your Regular Hire price.
Are Astro floodlights charged separately?
No. Where floodlighting is required for your regular Astro booking, the cost is included when your Regular Hire price is calculated.
You will not need to make a separate floodlight payment each time.
How are the floodlights calculated?
If your regular Astro booking takes place at a time of year when it will be too dark to play safely without floodlights, the floodlight charge is included in your Regular Hire calculation. You can view the published sunset and twilight times for Taunton on the Time and Date website.
We calculate this across the year using published sunset and twilight times for Taunton. Where civil twilight ends before your booked session finishes, we treat that session as requiring floodlights.
The floodlight cost for those sessions is added to your annual Regular Hire calculation and then spread across your 12 equal monthly payments.
This means:
- you pay the same Regular Hire amount each month
- there is no separate floodlight payment to make when you arrive
- you don’t pay a higher monthly amount during the winter
- your floodlight costs are already accounted for in your agreed price
Your individual Regular Hire offer will confirm your monthly price, including any applicable floodlight costs.
What happens if I am away or can’t attend one week?
Your normal monthly payment will still apply.
Regular Hire secures your agreed recurring slot for you, so individual sessions you choose not to use are not normally refunded or credited.
Can I move a Regular Hire session to another day?
Regular Hire reserves a particular agreed day and time. Missed sessions cannot normally be transferred to another date.
If you need to make a longer-term change to your regular booking, please contact us to discuss availability.
What happens if YMCA cancels my session?
If YMCA Taunton cancels your session, we will refund the amount attributable to that session.
Where available, we may offer an alternative facility or booking time, which you can choose to accept instead of a refund.
Can I cancel my Regular Hire completely?
Yes. You can end your Regular Hire agreement by providing written notice to info@ymcataunton.co.uk.
Your agreement will end on the last day of the calendar month following the month in which we receive your notice.
Your regular booking slot will remain available to you until your agreement ends.
Can I end my Regular Hire part-way through the year?
Yes. Although your Regular Hire price is fixed for 12 months, you are not committed to booking for the full year.
To end your agreement, please email info@ymcataunton.co.uk.
Your agreement will end on the last day of the calendar month following the month in which we receive your notice. Your usual monthly payments will continue until then.
For example: If you give notice on 12 November, your final payment will be due on 1 December and your agreement will end on 31 December.
You can continue to use your reserved slot throughout your notice period. Once your agreement ends, your recurring payments will stop and your slot will be released for others to book.
Can I temporarily pause my Regular Hire?
Regular Hire is designed to reserve an ongoing recurring slot, so it cannot normally be paused for holidays or occasional periods when you do not need the facility.
If your circumstances change significantly, please contact us to discuss your arrangement.
Can I cancel just one of my Regular Hire sessions?
You can let us know that you will not be attending, but cancelling an individual session does not reduce your monthly payment or create a credit.
Your Regular Hire payment secures your agreed recurring slot, whether or not you use every session.
We still ask you to tell us when you will not be attending as this allows us to manage our facilities effectively.
If you regularly find that you cannot use your reserved slot, Flexible Online Booking may be more suitable for you.
What happens if my payment fails?
Our payment system will notify you if a recurring payment is unsuccessful and will provide information about what you need to do.
It is important to keep your payment details up to date so that your Regular Hire arrangement is not affected.
If you experience difficulties making a payment, please contact us as soon as possible
Can I change my regular day or time?
Possibly, depending on availability.
Please contact us if you need to make a permanent change. We cannot guarantee that an alternative regular slot will be available.
Can I add extra sessions as well as my Regular Hire?
Yes. Your Regular Hire covers your agreed recurring slot. Any additional sessions can be booked separately, subject to availability.
Can I have more than one regular booking?
Yes, subject to availability. Each regular slot will need to be agreed with YMCA Taunton.
What if I only need a facility during school term time?
Some Regular Hire arrangements may be agreed for specific periods, such as school term time.
We will confirm the dates and monthly price with you when your Regular Hire is agreed.
I’m not sure which option is right for me. What should I do?
Think about what matters most to you.
If you need the same guaranteed slot each week, Regular Hire is likely to be the more suitable booking route.
If you value flexibility and only want to pay for the individual sessions you choose to book, Flexible Online Booking may suit you better.
If you are still unsure, please contact YMCA Taunton and we can explain how the two booking options work.
Enquire about Regular Hire
Contact us on info@ymcataunton.co.uk to enquire about availability. You can also check free slots on our online booking system to check if your desired time is available.