Having the right protection is a vital yet often overlooked component in running an efficient community green space. Because things don’t always go as expected, insurance can protect you from those unpredictable events that can incur expensive costs. With ever-changing weather on the rise and increasing strains placed on communities, you never know what damages could take place.
Not to mention the essential cover your organisation needs from contents insurance, to employers’ liability insurance and more. It can be confusing to know exactly what you need and what you should consider to best protect your space.
Since 2019 SF&G have partnered with McClarrons insurance who are an independent insurance broker specialising in the Care, Social Welfare and Agricultural sectors. They have proudly insured over 200 SF&G members and counting. Over the coming months we will be hearing more from them as they share their top tips and knowledge to help guide you on all things insurance.
McClarrons' Claims Guidance tips
One of our most frequently asked about topics with insurance is Claims Guidance. Here are the four main issues to consider before seeking a claim;
• Clear Ownership – In order for a claim to be valid, you must have ‘insurable interest’ in the items you are covering so that you can prove that they belong to you/the organisation. For example, receipts, invoices, and/or dated images. If you cannot prove you own the items you are claiming for, it can make it harder to receive a pay-out. If you have donated items, we recommend that you get some proof of ownership from the previous owners or complete an asset register, a template for which you can download from the Social Farm & Gardens website.
• Mitigate Your Loss – In order to help your claim, we recommend taking steps to mitigate your loss as soon as possible after the loss occurs. You can do this in many ways, for example – if your shed roof is damaged/leaking, you could put a temporary fix on the roof to stop any further damage. If you do take remedial action, please always hold on to any invoices.
• Ensure you have the right type of cover – general contents cover is typically only valid for the premises located on your insurance schedule. If you frequently take tools off-site to use at other locations, we recommend asking your broker about ‘all risks tools cover’, which provides cover UK-wide.
• The Right Sum Insured – Make sure you have the correct sum insured figure noted for your policy or any claim settlement could fall short of the actual loss. Typically, policies will insure contents on a ‘new for old’ basis – meaning the sum insured should represent the value of a modern-day equivalent or replacement rather than the existing item.
Please see our Insurance resources for members for more information.
If you have any further questions about insurance or would like to speak to a member of our team about an insurance review for your community garden, city farm or care farm, contact McClarrons Care & Social Welfare Team on 01653 600477.