Please note, this information is for BHS Volunteers. Click here to find out information about the insurance available to you as a BHS Gold Member.
Insurance information for Activities and Events
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The BHS holds insurance that covers our volunteers and their activities. Volunteer events are covered once those events have been reported to the National/Regional Manager. Our Welfare, Access and Safety Advisers are also covered for their actions within the remit of their role.
It is always a good idea to run your ideas for events past your National/Regional Manager before going ahead to make sure that they fit with the ethos of the BHS, that our insurance company is happy to cover them and that everyone is clear on the reason for the event and the expected outcomes.
When organising events, we do certainly have to show reasonable endeavours to enquire whether participants are insured, and particularly if they are not our Gold members, then a straightforward self-declaration is sufficient. If this entails a tick box, the name of the insurer and policy number then that is enough for the purposes of our own policy. Furthermore, we have to be very careful, and avoid the risk that under data protection and GDPR principles that we may be holding, and not storing securely, physical insurance certificates from individuals that contain personal data. (BHS Finance Director - Dec 2021)
Where events are held at the premises of a third party it is expected that they will hold their own Public Liability Insurance and that no BHS Volunteer should be in any way liable should an incident or accident occur. The statement outlines the answers to frequently asked questions.
Public Liability Insurance Certificate
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Our insurance documents are updated each year, as soon as we have the new insurance documents they will be uploaded here. Please ensure you take a copy with you to any event. If you are travelling to carry out duties related to your role please keep a copy in your car. If you require a printed version please let your Role Coordinator know and they can post them to you.
Insurance for Hired Equipment
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If you are hiring any equipment for use in BHS related activities, the following document should be used. Your National/Regional Manager should be made aware of these activities before they take place and careful consideration made about safety and permissions required for example in some cases you will need the council's permission to use tools on their land.
Use of Power Tools
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Important insurance update from SEIB (June 2025)
The use of power-driven tools is not permitted under the BHS insurance.
We have received confirmation from our insurers that ONLY the use of hand tools is permitted for route clearances. These include, but not limited to secateurs / loppers / hand saws etc.
There is no BHS insurance cover for the use of any machinery that is power driven (battery, petrol or other motorised engine). Anyone wishing to use power driven tools, even with a training certificate, would need to source their own individual cover for this, or ensure they have cover under a Local Authority.
