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What Insurance Does My Sports Club Need?

Author: Paul Nicholson (Towergate tlc)

There are probably in excess of 600,000 sports clubs in the UK today. These can range from sports such as Football and Cricket to Clay Target Shooting and Indoor Carpet Bowls. Each club will likely require a different amount of Insurance protection.

There are three main types of Insurance Protection, Property, Liability & Accident. It is important to understand the core difference:-

Public Liability

 It is the requirement of all clubs to assert a duty of care for the safety & wellbeing of all involved in the club. A Public Liability policy provides protection for the club if it breaks this duty of care & is deemed negligent of injury to somebody or damage to something. Out of all the covers your club may require Public Liability would be top of the list.

Property

 Sports and social clubs who own their own facilities can also obtain buildings and contents insurance which covers the cost of replacing the structure of the property. The buildings policy will likely offer cover for the buildings contents, this would extend to sporting equipment.

Playing/Accident

 Or, to give it its proper name Personal Accident Insurance. This is a type of cover that will allow for a club to protect itself in light of serious injury from or in connection with the sport. A typical policy could give a monetary sum for a broken bone or a more serious permanent disablement. Temporary or weekly benefits are also common to help with the costs of being unable to work because of the injury. The key difference to Public Liability is that there needs to be no proven negligence as the cause of injury in order for a payment to be made.

UK clubs benefit from one of the greatest support networks in Europe, whether it be a government agency such as the Central Council of Physical Recreation or Sport England.

The most supportive of all groups to your individual sport or club is likely to be your National Governing Body or Regional / County Association. This should be your first port of call in understanding the Insurance requirements for your sport.

Your Sports Association is likely to represent high numbers of clubs in a similar position to yourself. Quite often the Regional or national association will already have assessed the insurance requirements for your sport and have a recognised scheme for you to join. If this is not the case, here is some additional information to bear in mind.

What's the Benefit of Sports Insurance?

The main benefit is allowing for peace of mind in respect of a negligent act brought against your club. More often than not an action will be brought against the club as it is the club that is required to uphold a duty of care to its members.

Insuring the club allows for its officers to get on with running the club and delivering a safe and comfortable environment to partake in club activities.

My Club doesn't participate in a Dangerous Sport - How would it benefit us?

Sports insurance doesn't just benefit clubs who take part in dangerous or extreme sports. Insurance for normal sporting activities like football, cricket, rugby, badminton, tennis and a host of others can be equally likely to cause injury. Quite often the more hazardous sports have the greater risk prevention measures.

Next Steps

  1. Check with your National or Regional Sports Association for any Insurance your membership with them may give or allow you access to.
  2. Ascertain what risks you feel your club has. Whether it be material damage for equipment & buildings or its members safety & welfare. Can you control these risks your self? If not you should turn to Insurance for protection.
  3. There are many Sports Insurance providers, each preferring to insure different sports or types of Insurance. In choosing the right Insurance Broker you should look for endorsement from your sport, a similar club or look for a company with a long & proven track record.