Insurance

Association and Member Insurance Cover – reviewed 2020

The Association has an insurance policy with Ecclesiastical Insurance Group. We don’t provide personal insurance for members because it’s expensive and, generally, such policies have small pay-outs. For example, a typical pay-out is unlikely to cover loss of earnings if you were unable to work due to a ringing accident.

Our cover includes:

£10,000,000 Employers liability (Employees = Association Volunteers); £5,000,000 each for public and products liability for third party claims on the Association and individual members;
‘Member to Member’ liability, if one member should sue another member;
Property damage and unspecified risks, for our valuable assets, including the striking competition trophies, President’s badge and library contents.
£100,000 Trustee indemnity cover

The liability cover only applies if a member isn’t entitled to indemnity under any other policy and it won’t apply if the member isn’t complying with the terms and conditions of our policy.

We believe our cover is a good membership benefit which accounts for about £1.00 of your annual subscription. You can view our current policy documents here:

2020 liability certificate

2020-2021 Policy schedule

Click here www.ecclesiastical.com/ME866 to see the full policy document

Please note – our insurance doesn’t cover members for accidents or damage arising from any bell inspection or maintenance work that is done in their home church or any other church.

For more information please see the Central Council’s very helpful guidance note on insurance and ringing:

https://cccbr.org.uk/sm_gn1_insurance_2018-ver-1-0/

The following may also help you decide how this affects you:

You should check the insurance position for ringers at your own church. Every church must have its own insurance cover but upper and lower age limits will apply. You may wish to arrange your own personal accident cover.
If you’re teaching learners in your own tower then you’re likely to be covered by your church’s policy. If you’re teaching outside your own tower then you’ll need to check your insurance position at that tower.
If you’re doing more than ‘routine maintenance’ then you may not be covered by your church policy. You should seek specific advice for any work that could be considered as more than routine maintenance.
If you are a volunteer worker for any bell or tower work project being carried out by recognised, professional bell engineers, you may be able to get some cover under their policy but check beforehand whether it for liability, accidents or both.
Generally, the insurance position for visiting ringers to a church is a matter for the PCC of that church. There are likely to be upper and lower age limits for the Church’s policy and some PCCs may ask visiting ringers to prove that they have suitable accident and/or liability cover. The Association doesn’t have control over what a church may or may not require in this respect. You should be able to arrange accident and/or liability cover for your own tower outing on your Church’s insurance through the PCC as a ‘PCC endorsed event’ at no extra cost but it would have to be arranged individually for each outing, each year.
Members of the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART) should check how they are covered through ART’s insurance policy for teaching at towers within and outside the Association’s area.