A guide to sports club insurance
Do you run a sports club? What precautions do you take to prevent someone from getting hurt? Regardless of the precautions you have taken, a visitor or a member may get hurt and this is why you need to seriously think about having public liability insurance for your sports club. It will go a long way in preserving the health and fitness of your club.
The UK has thousands of sports clubs all around. These clubs are a great way for people to make friends, stay fit and have fun. These take a variety of forms ranging from youth football clubs to the weekly aerobics sessions in your village hall.
Many of these sports clubs are not meant to earn profit. While there are a lot of positive things to say about a sports club, it also has a downside. Sports clubs are visited by a lot of people and there is a lot of specialist equipment present which increases the probability of accidents.
It is an unfortunate fact that if someone gets injured at the sports club and claims the accident was the fault of the club and wants compensation, it can cost a ton of money. Having sports club insurance will protect the sports clubs in such instances and allow you to keep your subscribers.
Sports club public liability insurance – who needs it?
Every sports club needs it as all the clubs are at risk due to someone getting hurt and claiming compensation.
Let’s take an example of a bowls club. Consider a situation where a member is walking to the changing room like they usually do but there is a pool of water on the floor which is the result of not too careful handwashing by another member. This person slips on the water and the fall breaks their hip.
Take another example of a hockey club. A match is being played there. A lot of time has passed since the last training and there are a lot of holes dug by rabbits around the perimeter. A spectator doesn’t notice the holes and falls which leads to them breaking their ankle.
If a club happens to have fitness classes that include chair exercises, there is always the risk of a chair collapsing unexpectedly during the session. It could result in a participant getting hurt with a dislocated shoulder and a slipped disc.
In short, accidents happen all the time and they could happen due to a variety of reasons. This society is also increasingly turning litigious. If an individual has a chance to blame someone, it is likely that they will sue for compensation and in such cases, your club could be on the hook for thousands of pounds.
Public liability insurance – how does it help?
When you have proper insurance, your club won’t be on the hook for costs related to any lawsuit. In case of a claim, the insurance pays for all the legal costs including the cost of the lawyer as well as any compensation the club has to pay.
In practical terms, it means that the club does not need to spend its own money for hiring its own solicitor. In case the club is unable to afford the legal fees, you will have to do all the legal work on your own. The insurance also covers any compensation awarded to the plaintiff. Insurance also protects the finances of your club. You don’t need to worry about any big payouts and the members can continue to enjoy their activities.
Not all these sports are equally risky. When you plan to buy insurance, some insurance providers might like to ask specific questions regarding the nature of the activities. One of the more obvious questions would be the involvement of the club in more physical sports such as rugby. However, it does not mean that you won’t be able to buy insurance. Typically, almost all the clubs are able to get public liability insurance after providing satisfactory answers to the questions asked by the insurance providers.
Other insurance needed by the sports club
If you want your members to pay subs and fees, you need to invest in proper equipment. In most cases, you will need specialist equipment including racquets, balls, bats, goals and a variety of other types of equipment. All this individual equipment put together costs a pretty penny. These days, every club needs to invest money in some kind of IT equipment for keeping track of various things including member’s details. Similarly, you might also need other equipment such as an AV kit, lighting, or sound systems.
Regardless of the care you take of these things, there is always the risk of it getting damaged. It could get stolen or get damaged due to a water leak. In such cases, your members won’t be able to enjoy their regular activities as there is no equipment.
There is equipment insurance to cover such situations. It helps you in by covering the cost of replacing or repairing items in case the equipment gets stolen, lost or damaged. It covers almost everything including the equipment you take around with you such as phones, cameras or laptop.
Volunteers or employees in sports club
Employers liability insurance is needed for a club that employs part-time or full-time staff. It’s a legal requirement.
This insurance is designed to protect you in case a staff member is made ill on the job or gets injured. It could be a case of heavy equipment hitting a staff member due to it not being stored safely. If someone gets chronic back pain due to not being trained to lift the kit in a proper manner, they could sue for compensation.
If a claim is made in such cases, the employer’s liability insurance will protect you. It will cover the cost of legal defense as well as any compensation awarded by the court. In this manner, it also protects the interests of employees.
If you have volunteers who help at the club, it is recommended to cover those volunteers with employee liability insurance even if they are not actual employees. As far as the legal requirement of having employee liability insurance for volunteers is concerned, it is still not completely clear. However, you need to know that volunteers can also sue the club for compensation just like an employee.
Final thoughts
Sports offer a variety of benefits including improvement in physical and mental health.
However, you also need to worry about the health of your own club and this is why you need to get insurance for the club. Public liability insurance is a good start. It will protect the future of your club and allow everyone to have fun and enjoy the activities they like.
