LIABILITY AND PERSONAL ACCIDENT INSURANCE
The Guild holds an insurance policy with Ecclesiastical Insurance for its members. The following notes are a guide only. The Guild’s policy covers:
- Property damage, which includes such items as the Master’s and President’s Badges, the Centenary Trophy, IT and training equipment and the Library of books.
- Employers Liability for the sum of £10m, for any members acting under the authority of the Guild whilst engaged in the Guild’s business in the Salisbury Diocese.
- Public Liability for the sum of £5m and Products Liability for the sum of £5m.
- Personal Accident insurance (from 8th March 2025), detailed note on which follow below. NB. This policy only covers those activities undertaken on behalf of the Guild
Personal Accident policy with cover for all members between the ages of 3 and 80.
The Guild’s personal accident policy covers all Members (including “life” members, ringing members and youth members of the Guild, and including any Registered Learner under instruction prior to acceptance for full membership).
Members are covered at Guild events and activities authorised by the Guild Executive Committee. In this context, Branch events and activities are deemed to be authorised by the Guild Executive Committee. To qualify as a Guild or Branch event or activity, the event or activity must be open to all Guild or Branch Members, including Registered Learners, and must be advertised as such to all relevant Members as defined above. Members attending Guild Training Courses or ringing quarters and peals for the Guild are also covered. Members are covered at the Guild events and activities defined above:
- whilst ringing or teaching in any church or bell tower anywhere in the Diocese of Salisbury;
- whilst inspecting or attending to routine maintenance work to the bells in any church or bell tower anywhere in the Diocese of Salisbury. (Routine maintenance shall mean any work for which approval in accordance with the Care of Churches measure is not required);
- travel to Guild events is NOT covered.
The policy provides the following cover:
| Death | Temporary Total Disablement | Temporary Partial Disablement |
|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | £250 per week for a maximum of 104 weeks | £100 per week for a maximum of 104 weeks |
Please refer to pages 70 to 71 of the Charity and Community policy document on the Ecclesiastical website (www.ecclesiastical.com/documents/charity-and-community-pol-doc.pdf) for a definition of what is meant by Temporary Total Disablement and Temporary Partial Disablement. Disablement claims made for members under the age of 16 may be restricted to the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses.
Members should note that ringing as authorised volunteers (see page 12 of the policy document) at a church would in all probability be covered by the church’s own insurance, including Personal Accident (when held) and the Guild’s Personal Accident cover would generally only apply in non-ringing or maintenance situations where acting on behalf of the Guild or in a Guild capacity.
The above is a summary of the policies held and in any conflict with this summary and the actual policies, the policies will take precedence. Claims and queries concerning the extent of the cover, exclusions or policies should be directed in the first instance to the Guild Treasurer (email hidden; JavaScript is required) to enable the position to be established with the insurers.
Ringers are encouraged to check with their own church policy which should cover them while ringing in their own parishes. Most C of E churches in the UK insure with Ecclesiastical, using their standard ‘Parishguard’ policy. You can find more information on insurance in the document published by the Central Council – see cccbr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SM_Insurance_2022_v4.pdf.
