Martyn's Law catches any premises that can hold 200 or more people at once — and almost every village and community hall does, at a wedding, a fête or a pantomime. The good news: for most halls the duty is simple, free to meet, and needs no consultant. HallGuard gets you ready in an afternoon.
Named after Martyn Hett, who died in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, it asks the people responsible for public premises to be a little better prepared. It received Royal Assent in April 2025, with the Security Industry Authority as regulator. There's an implementation period, so it isn't enforced yet — but the guidance is published, so you can get ready now.
"Capacity" means everyone who could reasonably be on site at the same time — guests, helpers and committee members included — not your fire-safety or licensed maximum. A hall that "only seats 150" but fills to 220 for a carol concert is in scope.
Simple "public protection procedures": evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, communication. No documents legally required, no physical works, no consultant.
Rare for a hall. If your check shows you're here, we tell you honestly — this tier needs specialist help, and we won't pretend otherwise.
There's a runway before enforcement begins. We help you put the simple things in place calmly, now — not in a panic later.
No jargon, no compliance manager, no big invoice. Just the steps that keep your hall open, bookable and ready.
Answer a few plain-English questions — starting with whether your hall can hold 200+ at once — and find out in minutes if you're in scope and what you need to do.
A tailored evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication plan, with your named responsible person — ready to adopt and keep.
Generate the fire risk assessment your hall needs alongside Martyn's Law — no consultant required.
Clear conditions of hire that put the right obligations on the people booking your space, so a one-off event doesn't become your problem.
Short, simple modules so your committee and regular helpers know exactly what to do if something happens.
We remind you when reviews fall due, and give you a badge for your hall's page showing you take safety seriously.
There are over 10,000 village and community halls in the UK, almost all run by volunteer committees and charities with no budget for compliance staff. Martyn's Law shouldn't mean a consultant's invoice — for a standard-tier hall it really is meant to be simple, and HallGuard keeps it that way.
HallGuard provides tools and content to help you prepare; it is not a substitute for professional security or legal advice. Martyn's Law is not yet in force — we help you get ready ahead of enforcement. If your premises reach the enhanced tier (800+), we'll tell you and recommend specialist support rather than generate an enhanced-tier assessment.