Hiring out your building
Many units will be tempted to hire out their
Headquarters as a source of fundraising. In principle
and practice this may be a good idea as it can yield
significant financial returns as well as improving
security. An occupied building is less prone to
vandalism.
Your potential liability as property owners is covered
under Girlguiding UK’s Liability Policy. However, you
should make potential users aware that they too
have responsibilities.
Any equipment brought onto your premises by, say, a
playgroup, would remain their responsibility. If such
equipment were faulty and subsequently caused
injury to a Guide, the Guide’s parent could sue the
playgroup.
For regular users of your premises, particularly other
organisations, it is advisable to have a written formal
agreement. This need not be complicated and Unity Insurance
Services can provide a model form which you can adapt.
Remember, your property damage policy
has a small excess. Anyone who obtains
permission to use your unit’s “home” should be
prepared to (and be capable of) paying for minor
damage caused by their use.
Asbestos within the construction
of the building
It is widely recognised that asbestos fibres suspended in
the air can cause serious illness if inhaled. Should your
building be unfortunate enough to suffer a fire it could
result in asbestos exploding and scattering fragments
over a large area. In previous cases of this kind Local
Authorities have forced youth groups to employ specialist
contractors to remove the debris and in some cases to
remove the contaminated topsoil from the entire site.
This can be a very costly exercise.
We would therefore suggest that you approach your
Local Authority for advice and guidelines. If it seems
likely that you will incur additional expenses to comply
with Local Authority requirements in the event of the
building being damaged, it would be advisable to contact
a local demolition firm for an estimate for such work to
be carried out. Having obtained an estimate you should
then include that sum in your building insurance.
If you wish to discuss this further please feel
free to contact Unity Insurance Services on 0845 0945 704
Which to choose - Contents/Equipment or All Risks
The Guide Property and Equipment Contract provides the
means of protecting a wide variety of Guide property in
one easy package.
We have tried to keep the terminology and structure as
simple as possible within the bounds of the need to
provide comprehensive information on what can be
insured and how. However, many units find it difficult
to decide whether to insure equipment etc, under the
Contents/Equipment section and/or under the All Risks section.
To assist with making that decision, we offer the
following additional comments.
The Contents/Equipment section and the All Risks section
provide alternative means of insuring contents and
equipment. Both sections have their merits and demerits.
We cannot, therefore, advise you which section to use in
a leaflet such as this, as much will depend on the
individual needs of the unit. However, we hope we
can help you decide on the most effective cover for your
needs.
Contents/Equipment Section
This section provides Specified Perils Cover on contents
and equipment. This means that the Underwriters clearly
state what you are insured against. It is a requirement of
this section that you declare where equipment is stored
and the premium rate will be based on the construction
of the storage accommodation.
This section will automatically extend to cover
equipment in use anywhere in the UK. It can provide a
very cost effective way of insuring contents and
equipment, especially for those units who occupy brick
or concrete premises.
All Risks Section
This section provides All Risks Cover on equipment. The
term “All Risks” is a misnomer as there are exclusions. It
does not cover such losses as wear and tear, vermin or
deterioration etc. However, All Risks Cover is wider in
application than “Specified Perils”.
Under the All Risks section, you are not restricted by the
need to declare a storage location and this can benefit
units without a regular “home” for its equipment.
However, premiums are generally higher under this section
than the Contents/Equipment section.
Unlike the Contents/Equipment section, the All Risks
section offers the facility to insure electrical (specialised
TV, video, etc) equipment and can provide hiring/loaning
risks for marquees, etc, which the unit may allow other
guiding units or Scout Groups or non-member organisations to
use. .
