Keeping people safe has always been a core responsibility for community venues. Whether you manage a village hall, theatre, music venue or community space, there is already a great deal to think about when it comes to health and safety, safeguarding, and emergency planning.
Now, another important area is coming into focus: Martyn’s Law.
Officially known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, the legislation is designed to improve preparedness and protective security across publicly accessible venues and events in the UK. The law was introduced following the horrific 2017 Manchester Arena attack, in which 22 people were killed, including Martyn Hett, after whom the legislation is named.
For many venue administrators, this topic can feel daunting at first glance. However, one of the key messages from the legislation and associated guidance is that preparedness should be practical and proportionate. In many cases, community venues may already be doing some of the right things without realising it.
The information in this article was kindly provided by Cambridgeshire ACRE alongside publicly available guidance from government and security organisations.
What is Martyn’s Law?
Martyn’s Law aims to improve public safety by ensuring certain venues and events are better prepared in the event of a terrorist attack or other major incident.
The legislation introduces legal responsibilities for those in charge of publicly accessible premises and qualifying events. The overall aim is not to turn community venues into heavily secured environments, but to encourage practical planning, awareness, and preparedness.
The law follows a tiered approach based largely on the number of people reasonably expected to be present at a venue or event.
Standard Tier
This generally applies to premises where it is responsible to expect between 200 and 799 people to be present at the same time.
Enhanced Tier
This applies to larger premises and qualifying events where 800 or more people may be present. These venues will face additional requirements around risk assessments and security planning.
For many smaller community venues, the focus is likely to be on simple preparedness measures rather than major physical security changes.
Which Community Venues Could Be Affected?
The legislation applies to publicly accessible locations used for a range of activities, including leisure, entertainment, worship, sports, and community use. This means many venues commonly using Hallmaster systems could potentially fall within scope, including:
- Village halls
- Community centres
- Church halls and places of worship
- Sports and leisure venues
- Event spaces
- Music and performance venues
Importantly, some smaller venues which are normally outside scope could still host individual events that fall within the legislation, depending on attendance levels and the nature of the event.
A Proportionate Approach
One of the biggest misoneptions surrounding Martyn’s Law is that venues will immediately need to install expensive security systems or employ specialist consultants.
Current guidance strongly suggests this is not the intention. Instead, measures are expected to be “reasonably practicable” and proportionate to the venue and its activities.
For standard tier premises, the focus is expected to be on relatively straightforward measures such as:
- Basic preparedness planning
- Staff and volunteer awareness
- Emergency procedures
- Communication processes during incidents
- Understanding how to respond to suspicious behaviour or threats
This is intended to be manageable for ordinary community organisations, rather than creating an unrealistic burden.
Practical Steps Venues Can Begin Taking Now
Although the legislation is not yet fully in force, venues are being encouraged to begin familiarising themselves with the guidance ahead of implementation in Spring 2027.
There are several practical steps community venues can begin considering now.
Review emergency procedures
Many venues already have fire evacuation procedures, but it may be worth reviewing whether plans cover a wider range of emergency scenarios.
Questions to consider might include:
- Who would take the lead during an incident?
- How would staff or volunteers communicate quickly?
- Are evacuation routes clearly understood?
- Would hirers know what to do in an emergency?
Increase awareness among staff and volunteers
Awareness is likely to form a major part of compliance for many venues.
This is not about creating alarm or encouraging suspicion of every visitor. Instead, it involves helping volunteers and staff recognise genuinely unusual behaviour and understand how concerns should be reported.
Improve communication processes
Good communication is essential during any emergency.
Venues may benefit from reviewing:
- Emergency contact procedures
- How hirers receive safety information
- How important updates are communicated during events
In many cases, relatively small organisational improvements can make a significant difference.
New Guidance and Webinars for Village Halls
Following the publication of the government’s statutory guidance, organisations across the ACRE network have begun supporting village halls and community venues in understanding what the new legislation may mean in practice.
Cambridgeshire ACRE is among the organisations helping trustees and community building managers navigate the changes. Their guidance highlights that the intention behind the legislation is for venues to be able to comply without needing expensive specialist services.
As part of this support, Cambridgeshire ACRE is hosting an online webinar in partnership with Counter Terrorism Policing East, aimed specifically at village halls and community buildings. This will take place at 2PM on June 4th 2026. For more information – and to book your free ticket – head to the Cambridgeshire ACRE website and search for Martyn’s Law, or click here.
The webinar is the perfect opportunity for venue trustees, parish councillors, clerks, and others involved in running a venue to learn more about how Martyn’s Law might affect them, and how to prepare.
Keeping Information Organised
As with many aspects of venue management, organisation plays an important role.
Keeping booking details, event information, room layouts, hirer contacts, and emergency procedures accessible and up to date can help administrators feel more prepared and in control.
Systems like Hallmaster can support this process by helping venues maintain accurate booking records and centralised information for staff and hirers. While booking software alone is not a security solution, having organised systems in place can make communication and planning significantly easier.
Looking Ahead
Martyn’s Law represents an important shift in how public safety and preparedness are approached across UK venues and events.
For community venues, the key message is not that every space must become heavily secured, but that all publicly accessible venues should think carefully about preparedness, communication, and practical response planning.
With the implementation period still ongoing, now is a good time for administrators, trustees, and committees to begin reviewing current procedures and familiarising themselves with the available guidance.
Have Your Say: Upcoming Webinar Consultations
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is currently running a series of consultation webinars to help village halls and community venues better understand Martyn’s Law and what it may mean in practice, and to allow those affected to have their say on the new guidance.
These sessions are designed specifically for trustees, parish councils, and those involved in managing community buildings, and will provide an opportunity to hear from sector experts, ask questions, and explore practical next steps in a supportive setting.
The webinars are particularly useful for venues who want to begin preparing early and make sense of the guidance as it develops.
Upcoming webinar dates:
- Wednesday 3rd June
- 12:30pm – 1:15pm
- 4pm – 4:45pm
- Tuesday 9th June
- 10am – 10:45am
- 2pm – 2:45pm
For those managing busy community spaces, these sessions offer a helpful opportunity to hear the latest updates directly and gain reassurance about what is (and isn’t) expected in practice.
To find out more and book your place, click here.