Martyn's Law guides
Updated 26 October 2026. Guidance, not legal advice.
Free, plain-English guides for the volunteers and committees who look after small venues. Each one explains what Martyn's Law means for your kind of building and what to do before the duties start, expected in spring 2027.
For village and community halls
Martyn's Law for village halls: a plain-English guide for committees
How to tell if your hall is covered, who's responsible, what to do about hirers, and a simple timeline for your committee.
For churches and places of worship
Martyn's Law for churches: what your church needs to do
Why places of worship stay in the standard tier, how festivals, weddings and lettings count, and briefing your welcome team.
For sports clubs and clubhouses
Martyn's Law for sports clubs: does it apply to your club?
Why open public pitches are excluded, when gate charges or membership bring a ground in, function rooms, matchdays and stewards.
For pubs, bars and function rooms
Martyn's Law for pubs and function rooms
Why the beer garden counts, estimating your busiest night, and who is responsible in tenanted and managed pubs.
For scout huts, guide halls and youth centres
Martyn's Law for scout huts and youth centres
Why hiring out matters more than your own meetings, counting people, and building on your existing safeguarding procedures.
For small theatres and arts venues
Martyn's Law for small theatres and arts venues
Counting audience, cast and crew, show-stop procedures, front-of-house briefings and busy arrivals and departures.
Not sure if the law applies to you?
Use the two-question checker on our homepage. It tells you in seconds whether your venue is likely to be covered.
Want it done in an evening?
Protect My Venue turns a 20-minute questionnaire about your building into a ready-to-use plan, a volunteer briefing, a hirer sheet and a step-by-step guide to notifying the SIA.