Checked against official sources in November 2026. Rules change, so follow the links before you act.
A bar, a barbecue and some music turn a fundraiser into a proper day out. They also bring a few rules with them. None are hard to follow, but some have deadlines you can easily miss if you leave them to the last fortnight.
This guide covers Temporary Event Notices (TENs) for alcohol and entertainment, how a club premises certificate fits in, food stalls and allergens, and music licensing. It applies to England. Your council's licensing and environmental health teams are the people to ask about your own event.
Temporary Event Notices: the basics
A TEN lets you carry out licensable activities, such as selling alcohol or providing regulated entertainment, at a one-off event without a full premises licence. According to the Home Office guidance under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003, a TEN can cover an event with no more than 499 people present at any one time, including staff and performers, lasting no more than 168 hours (seven days).
The fee is £21. It's a statutory fee, so it should be the same in every council area, as Slough Borough Council explains. You give the TEN to your council's licensing authority, which for most clubs is the district or borough council.
| Limit | What the guidance says |
|---|---|
| People present | No more than 499 at any one time, including staff and performers |
| Length of event | No more than 168 hours (seven days) |
| Per premises | No more than 15 TENs a calendar year, covering no more than 21 days. An event past midnight counts as two days |
| Per person without a personal licence | Up to 5 TENs a year, of which up to 2 can be late TENs |
| Per personal licence holder | Up to 50 TENs a year, of which up to 10 can be late TENs |
| Fee | £21 |
Don't miss the deadline
A standard TEN must be given at least ten working days before the event. That count doesn't include the day you submit or the day of the event, so allow extra time and aim for three weeks or more.
A late TEN can be given between nine and five working days before the event, as Reigate & Banstead Borough Council puts it. The police and environmental health have three working days to object, and if they object to a late TEN, the event can't go ahead with licensable activities. Treat a late TEN as an emergency option, not a plan.
If you don't give the notice electronically, it must go to the licensing authority, the police and the environmental health authority. Events notified by the same person at the same premises must be at least 24 hours apart.
Alcohol at club events
Many clubs with a bar have a club premises certificate. This lets a qualifying club supply alcohol to members and their guests only, and instant membership isn't allowed, according to the section 182 guidance. So if your fun day is open to the public, your certificate probably won't cover bar sales to visitors.
The guidance says a club can apply for a premises licence, or an individual can give a TEN on the club's behalf. A TEN can be given for premises that already have a licence or certificate, to cover activities the existing authorisation doesn't allow, such as selling to non-members at a public fun day. Sales under a TEN don't need a personal licence holder.
Common sense on the day: have a named person in charge of the bar, ask for ID from anyone who looks young, keep the bar away from the children's attractions, and stop serving anyone who's had enough.
Food stalls, barbecues and bake sales
Anyone supplying food at community and charity events, whether selling it or giving it away, may be treated as a food business and may need to register with their local authority, according to the Food Standards Agency. The council may decide registration isn't needed if the food activity is very limited and infrequent. The guidance sets no fixed frequency, so if your club runs a weekly tea bar or regular food events, ask your district or borough council's environmental health team.
You don't need a food hygiene certificate to make and sell food for charity events, but you must still handle food safely: clean hands, clean surfaces, keep raw and cooked food apart, cook meat through and keep chilled food cold.
Allergens: what to tell customers
If your food activity, such as an occasional bake sale, doesn't need registering as a food business, you aren't legally required to provide allergen information. The FSA still encourages you to provide it where possible. It recommends keeping a recipe or ingredients list for each item, and keeping the packaging of donated or bought-in items so people with allergies can check.
Registered food businesses must give information on the 14 regulated allergens for non-prepacked food, either in writing or verbally with a sign telling customers where to ask. Food prepacked for direct sale, such as cakes wrapped in advance at the stall, must be labelled with the name of the food and a full ingredients list with the allergens emphasised, if the seller is a food business.
The 14 allergens, from the FSA's allergen guidance, are:
- celery
- cereals containing gluten
- crustaceans
- eggs
- fish
- lupin
- milk
- molluscs
- mustard
- peanuts
- sesame
- soybeans
- sulphur dioxide and sulphites (above 10 parts per million)
- tree nuts
Music: TheMusicLicence
Playing recorded or live music at an event normally needs TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS. There's no blanket exemption for charity events. Charity and community organisations can apply for a discount on the standard royalty if all proceeds go to registered charities or named community groups and at least two of these apply: entry is free, the advertising highlights a significant charitable purpose, or the event is mainly organised by unpaid volunteers. See PPL PRS charity licensing.
Discount applications must reach PPL PRS at least 14 days before the event. The discount isn't guaranteed, isn't available for some tariffs, and is given for background music only in exceptional circumstances. Your venue may already hold a licence, so check with them first. If you hire a DJ or PA from a sound and AV supplier, ask what licensing they assume you have.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. It is based on official guidance checked in November 2026. Ask your council's licensing and environmental health teams, or PPL PRS, about your own event.
Committee questions
How much does a Temporary Event Notice cost?
£21. It's a statutory fee, so it should be the same whichever council you give it to.
Do volunteers baking cakes need a food hygiene certificate?
No. The FSA says you don't need one to make and sell food for charity events, but you must still handle food safely. See the FSA's community events guidance.
Our clubhouse has a club premises certificate. Can we sell to the public at our fun day?
Not under the certificate alone, which covers members and their guests. An individual can give a TEN to cover sales to non-members, or the club can apply for a premises licence.
Sources
- Home Office: Revised Guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 (September 2026)
- Reigate & Banstead Borough Council: Temporary event notices
- Slough Borough Council: Temporary event notices - fees and how to apply
- FSA: Providing food at community and charity events
- FSA: Allergen guidance for food businesses
- PPL PRS: Charity Music Licence - TheMusicLicence
