The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.
Banking and buying
Banks
Your hall will need a bank account to be able to spend and receive money. You will need to look for a business account; many banks and building societies offer special current accounts for voluntary organisations and charities, and banking may be free if the account is in credit.
When choosing a bank account, you should think about what you need from it as services and offers can vary – e.g. will you need a local branch, will you need multiple card holders, are there any charges, etc.
SCVO have put together more information on banking, including what to think about, and a bank comparison table to help you choose.
Procurement
Procurements is the process of buying goods or services from someone else. You are likely to need to procure a number of goods and services for your community space. This may range from simply seeking three quotes for a piece of equipment you need to purchase, or for a local trades person to carry out a small job, to having to formally tender for maybe a larger capital project or a contractor to deliver ongoing services.
This useful guide and template from Heritage Fund looks at Writing a Brief for the Procurement of Goods or Services.
The Chartered Institute of Fundraising also has information for charities on What makes a good & fair tender process?.
DTAS has produced a template for procuring a short-term project consultant, outlining some of the key sections to consider in preparing a brief for a specific piece of work. The details will vary depending on your community space, the work for which you are going out to tender and the brief will need to be adapted and checked accordingly.
The Weston Property Manual from the Ethical Property Foundation has a useful and relevant section with guidance on Sourcing Quotes from Suppliers.