Lloyd’s provides solution for martial arts cover
26 February 2008
Just eight weeks into 2008 and those New Year’s resolutions to maintain a healthier lifestyle seem like a distant memory.
However, for those still looking for inspiration and intending to join a sports club, checking whether it has proper insurance cover is vital.
According to the National Association of Karate and Martial Arts Schools (NAKMAS), numerous martial arts clubs within the UK are not properly insured, leaving them exposed in the event of an accident or allegation of abuse.
Many of these clubs are using substandard martial arts insurance, providing the clubs with insufficient cover or failing to include vital areas of cover such as child abuse and instructor indemnity.
In order to overcome this, NAKMAS has collaborated with Lloyd’s to offer comprehensive worldwide cover for coaches, competitors, club members and staff, available to all NAKMAS affiliated clubs.
Paul Thomas, Underwriter for Sportscover Syndicate 3334, said: “We provide block liability schemes for NAKMAS which include public liability, professional indemnity for coaching and personal accidental cover.”
Joe Ellis, Chair and Acting Lead Child Protection Officer at NAKMAS, explained: “Some smaller clubs are unaware of the different types of cover that they can get as some policies do not cover all the necessary aspects. For example, quite a few policies exclude the cover of child abuse which opens up vulnerability of instructors teaching children.
“Also with most policies the instructors are only covered to work within their own club and not covered to work in schools. However, with Lloyd’s professional indemnity the policy follows the instructors around the world wherever they need to work.
“The other problem with smaller clubs is that they may only have a couple of hundred members so the insurance provided is too expensive. To avoid this, smaller organisations that are registered with NAKMAS automatically qualify for this block liability insurance.”
With over 65,000 members there is an undoubted growing popularity for martial arts across the UK, with karate being recognised as one of the top 20 grass root sports.
“Clubs and coaches need to be asking themselves the question - does my policy really offer protection in an era of high litigation?” Ellis added. “In a sport with so much focus on coaching children and self-defence, it is ludicrous that clubs are letting their guard down when it comes to insurance.”
Last updated on 26 Feb 2008
