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Top 5 UK Cycling Destinations
/in News/by Activities Industry MutualActivity Providers Cycling Destinations
We have a number of Members who operate cycling and mountain bike trails and tours, we even have some BMX parks now. Here’s a look at the Top 5 UK cycling destinations to inspire you. We can offer providers cover for Public Liability, Employer’s Liability and equipment cover. If your business is registered in the UK then we can assist. Please speak to us about a quotation.
Yorkshire Dales
Road cycling in Yorkshire is renowned for its wild scenery, tough riding but welcoming hospitality and the real sense of a cycling community. It has grown in reputation over the last 10 years to be known as one of the best areas of not only the UK but Europe to visit and ride a bike.
Climb the likes of the Cote de Buttertubs, Grinton Moor and Lofthouse fueled on the local delicacy of Wensleydale cheese and Fat Rascals.
Lake District
The Lake District in Cumbria is one of the most beautiful places to ride a bike in the UK, but it is also one of the toughest. Mention the names Hardknott Pass, Kirkstone Pass or the aptly named Struggle and you are sure to get a large intake of breath but also a look of excitement from any roadie mates.
Cornwall
Cycling in Cornwall offers a rider an overwhelming sensory sensation – sandy beaches, sunny weather, a soft sea breeze in your face whilst you roll through the quiet country lanes flourishing with wild flowers. The breath-taking landscape allows you to part forgive the area for the punishing inclines that you get on the coastal roads, as you ride into the pretty little coves and harbours, and inevitably have to clamber back out.
Peak District
The Peak District is England’s oldest national park, designated as such in 1951, and ever since then it has been a haven for cyclists.
Being named the Peak District, you won’t be surprised that there are quite a lot of hills to climb. You can still find some more ‘gentle’ cycling routes to do if you don’t quite fancy slogging up the hills all day, but if you are a bit of a mountain goat, then you definitely won’t be disappointed. Not only are the hills plentiful, some of them are also incredibly steep. Find yourself at the foot of Winnats Pass and you will have really earned your Bakewell pudding from one of the numerous tea & cake shops enroute.
Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons national park, located in South Wales offers everything from charming and lively market towns, to high peaks with incredible views of the Welsh countryside and Black Mountains.
It is a microcosm of everything that makes Wales wonderful. Cloud-piercing peaks and high road passes look down upon the meandering rivers and waterways that pierce through the lush valleys.
Whether you are there for a full week or just a quick weekend break you will enjoy every minute of the famous Welsh hospitality and amazing countryside.
Sustainable Outdoor Travel Destinations in Europe
/in News/by Activities Industry MutualThere is something exciting about planning a holiday but keeping everyone happy can be a juggling act. The active 9 year old who loves adrenaline and adventure should be easy to please! It struck me that there is one question we should all be asking ourselves and that is how sustainable our travel choices and holidays are. Queue lots of head scratching and getting lost down some internet black holes looking for the answers.
I can’t say I found the solution, but I did find this article from Suston which gives us the lowdown on sustainable outdoor travel destinations in Europe. There seemed to be some fabulous suggestions for us to consider, but how sustainable is it really if I have to travel there from the UK.?
https://sustonmagazine.com/2024/04/22/10-sustainable-travel-destinations-in-europe/
I thought about all the Members who provide outdoor activities in many locations in the UK and abroad and wondered if your business model has changed and if you now branch out into Europe with your offering?
Is the quest to be sustainable a key part to your business planning?
Are we all doing our bit by visiting these destinations or should we all be staying much closer to home?
If you are offering activities in Europe or beyond please remember to let us know so we can update your cover requirements. Your business must be registered and recognised as UK domiciled business.
Please email our underwriting team [email protected] if you have any questions
Article by Karen Hensing in Suston (Sustainable Outdoor News)
#sustainabletravel
#outdooractivityproviders
Please email [email protected] with your suggestions I can’t wait to hear them.
Incident Check List – HCR Law
/in News/by Activities Industry MutualOur colleagues at HCR Law are helpful in providing risk management and expert help post incident. They have provided us with the attached incident checklist that gives you some top tips on what to cover in incident witness statements.
HCR_AIM incident checklist
Lightning Strike & Business Interruption Cover
/in News/by Activities Industry MutualWhilst many activity providers will be out enjoying the warm weather, the met office have issued warnings regarding thunderstorms, lightening, and heavy rainfall whilst the heatwave continues.
Lightning strikes are thankfully rare but they can happen, and they are only one possible cause of damage – fire, storm and flood damage are more common and of course all of these can cause a building to be unavailable for use, with practical and financial implications for an activity provider. Ensuring you have Business Interruption cover as part of your policy is important.
A previous AIM member needed assistance during a violent storm of heavy rain and very strong winds, lightning struck the gable end of one of the dormitory blocks on their site. This strike damaged the fire alarm at the building which stopped it from functioning. The storm rumbled on and by 4am a local milkman, on his rounds, discovered the building was on fire and alerted the emergency services. Unfortunately by this time, the building had suffered significant damage including a collapsed front roof and damaged undercroft plus smoke damage throughout and all services (water/electric) were destroyed.
“The effect on future bookings could have been disastrous, a group was booked in for the following week so alternative accommodation had to be found and the local youth hostel kindly provided this for us.
The need to have the correct plans in place to deal with an incident of this nature is paramount. The centre already had a critical incident plan which was adhered to at the time and since then we have continued to update this plan, and other processes on an annual basis”
This particular Member had Business Interruption cover, which was important for their survival as it covered loss of earnings while the new dormitory was being build and an entire term’s worth of business. To lose this level of income would have been disastrous. The outcome was a positive one for them but without this important cover the story could have been very different.
Are You Covered?
AIM offers Business Interruption cover to all members who take Property Damage cover.
Business Interruption covers loss of income (including rent where appropriate) and increased costs arising from damage to a member’s premises. Surveys indicate that most SME’s buy cover for their buildings and contents, whether with AIM or a conventional commercial insurer, but fewer opt for the protection of Business Interruption cover as well.
If you are interested in learning more about Business Interruption, and receiving a quotation, please contact our team and we will be happy to provide a quotation.
Benefits of the Mutual – Facts
/in News/by Activities Industry MutualWe started thinking about what makes us different to a traditional insurance provider and why should activity providers consider us over any other, lets face it there’s plenty of options out there.
Here’s just a few benefits of being part of the Mutual.
- AIM is a Mutual – like a co operative where the Mutual is owned by the Members, for the Members. Membership offers a network of likeminded providers working towards a common goal. Members connect with each other to help resolve specific issues or questions.
- The Members answer to the Members rather than to shareholders of insurance companies looking for large profits.
- The Mutual is run by a small, dedicated and experienced team and overseen by a Board of Directors all of whom come from the activities industry.
- AIM’s cover is cost effective and of high quality, tailored specifically to our Members’ needs.
- AIM is the cover provider that works in partnership with some of the leading industry bodies such as the ABC, IOL, AHOEC, CLOtC & NCC in order to support the various sectors and maintain the high standards for the industry.
- We provide in house onsite tailored training for Members and their staff on a range of issues including Accident Reporting, Claims Defensibility, Risk Management and Lessons Learned as well as advice on Risk Assessments and Operating Procedures.
- AIM’s Mutual Manager is a solicitor with 24 years’ experience in defending personal injury claims. As such we have great in house expertise in risk management and claims defensibility and so work closely with Members on these issues, which stands us apart from our competitors.
- We handle claims in house and take a strong stance where liability is in dispute, rather than settling on economic grounds as many insurers do. We consider this helps protect your reputation and brand as well as the integrity of the activity sectors and whole industry.
- We can provide a complete cover solution for your core requirements like property and liabilities within the mutual and use a well-established broker to obtain competitive standard market covers such as Directors and Officers, motor, PA/Travel, Cyber and event cancellation, to name a few.
- To assist with the many challenges your business faces, the Mutual has partnered with ARAG plc to provide Legal Expenses cover. This is included with your Membership and provides professional legal and financial support as well as counselling services for staff and their families on any issues they may face and has been utilised by a growing number of Members to help staff mental health.
- AIM fought for its Members to ensure payments for COVID Business Interruption were paid, when other insurers didn’t. To date, payments total over £4m. These have ensured that businesses have been kept afloat and able to continue as well as helping the activity sector recover.
- We love seeing our Members! We regularly visit them including for renewal meetings, training sessions, or just on request.
- As an AIM Member, you are eligible for a share of the underwriting profits in years where a surplus is made and a payment distribution is agreed by the AIM Board
What are you waiting for? call us or complete the proposal form here and one of our small but dedicated team will get back to you.
We know you won’t regret it that’s why so many of our Members renew with us year after year!
Mutual Member Profile – Ourea Events – Running Events
/in Member Profiles, News/by Activities Industry MutualWhen the Mutual first began, the profile of Members looked very differently, to how it looks today. We have seen a range of different activity providers emerge over the time we have been providing vital Public Liability cover to Members, Like any business we have embraced the diversity whilst always keeping at its heart to protect the Members who choose to take cover with us.
One area where we have seen an increase is the area of ‘running events’, (pardon the pun!) by this we mean organisers of trail runs and challenge events where the outdoors provides the exciting and often challenging backdrop to some incredible running events such as the Dragons Back Race. One such Member is Ourea Events who joined the Mutual in 2020 and were kind enough to share their story with us in our Newsletter from January 2023.
Thanks to Tom Hecht, Business Operations Director at Ourea for this interview.
If you have a business that operates in this sector do contact us for a quotation for your business kit and equipment, Public & Employers Liability cover. We look forward to hearing from you.
Are you Covered?
/in News/by Activities Industry MutualAs activity providers up and down the country prepare for a new season we wanted to remind Members that it is important to ensure all your equipment is covered and for the correct value and quantity.
Checklist
- This means checking all your equipment and stock inventories annually rather than relying on last years’ figures. Make sure you inform the AIM team of the correct new replacement values as undoubtedly the cost to replace these items will have risen.
- When looking at the figures remember that whilst you may be able to replace individual items with second hand ones, in the event of a total loss, the cost to replace the whole amount with new items is actually a considerably different financial outlay.
- Take a look at the number of kayaks, canoes, harnesses or helmets for example and ensure the number and value is correctly listed.
We have had occasions where cover was significantly underinsured and regrettably, we cannot pick up the shortfall for this. A theft of kayaks for example in the region of £21k, but listed as £3k would result in a shortfall being paid on any claim. Many providers would struggle with a loss of this value.
- As providers look at diversifying or changing what they offer, please let the team know if you are planning new or different activities to those which you specified when you first came on cover with this.
- Consider the Business Interruption and Employers Liability elements of your cover. How long would it take for you to begin trading again after a significant claim such as a fire or flood? Check if your BI Cover extends to the right amount of time. We can discuss this with you should you require it.
- If you employ staff or use volunteers it is a legal requirement to have Employers’ liability for them.
The AIM team are always on hand to talk to you about your figures so if you are not sure please call or drop as an email [email protected]
Top 10 Best Caves – Going Underground
/in News/by Bird MarketingA classic wild camp, a Roman shrine and the ‘real’ Batman’s lair – here’s our pick of Britain’s most enticing underground attractions.
This feature was first published in the March 2019 issue of The Great Outdoors.
Forget ticketed and well-groomed show caves – Britain’s most intriguing underground places are quiet, semi- secret and only accessible by foot. Some have fascinating archaeological or historical backstories. Others have starred as movie locations or featured in famous legends. A few are remarkable simply for their size and splendour. But all repay closer exploring…
1. Priest’s Hole, Lake District
Header image above; © Getty Images
Since it featured on the BBC in 2016, this popular wild camping spot on the side of Dove Crag has lost any last vestige of secrecy. Think of Priest’s Hole as you might a bothy, accept that you may have to share, and you’re less likely to be disappointed. The views of the Far Eastern Fells are great and bad weather is kept at bay by a low stone wall. If you do find remnants of previous visits, do a good turn and take them with you.
2. Thirst House Cave, Peak District
Archaeologists excavating this Deep Dale cave in the 19th Century found pottery, jewellery and burials suggesting it had been used as a Roman shrine. Local people once called it ‘Hob Hurst House’, after a goblin who reputedly lived there. Thirst House Cave makes for fascinating exploring on a walk around Deep Dale or a diversion from the western end of the Monsal Trail – just don’t stray too far inside the system.
3. The Massacre Cave, Eigg
As you might guess, this cave has a pretty gruesome history. The population of Eigg sheltered here during a 16th Century feud with the Macleods of Skye, only to be killed en masse when the Macleods lit a huge bonfire to smoke them out. Tourists visiting the cave recently found a large collection of human bones that have since been linked to the slaughter. Massacre Cave and nearby Cathedral Cave can both be explored with the help of a torch – if you’re brave enough…
4. Alum Pot & Gaping Gill, North Yorkshire
Looking to dip a toe into the murky and mysterious world of caving? Book a guide to take you down Alum Pot, dubbed by those in the know as the finest abseil in Yorkshire. The way out through a labyrinth of tunnels leads through the famously claustrophobic ‘Cheese Press’ – not a route for the faint-hearted. If you don’t fancy venturing below ground, you can still see the open shaft of Alum Pot and the waterfall that cascades into its depths on a walk around Ingleborough that also takes in the entrance to the more famous Gaping Gill (pictured).
5. Henrhyd Falls, Brecon Beacons
To film buffs, the sheltered spot behind thundering Henrhyd Falls might look thrillingly familiar. It was used as one of the filming locations for Batman’s lair in The Dark Knight Rises – the key shot shows Christian Bale disappearing behind a curtain of water to enter his secret hideout. There’s nothing (other than the prospect of a good wetting) to stop visitors following his footsteps through the waterfall to discover the shallow cave beyond. The surrounding walks in National Trust woodland provide an added enticement.
6. Victoria Cave, North Yorkshire
The walk to this isolated cave, set east of Langcliffe in Ribblesdale, takes you through some of the most dramatic limestone scenery in the Yorkshire Dales. The cave itself is an archaeological treasure: since it was first excavated, in the year of Queen Victoria’s coronation, everything from mammoth bones to Roman brooches has been discovered here. Surrounding signs warn that the roof is unstable, so Victoria Cave is best admired from the outside.
7. Millican Dalton’s Cave, Lake District
For nearly 50 years, this sizeable cave on the side of Castle Crag was the summer residence of Lakeland eccentric, lightweight gear pioneer and self-styled ‘Professor of Adventure’ Millican Dalton. Nowadays it’s a site of pilgrimage for outdoorsy folk who admire Dalton’s philosophy and his legendary quest for self-sufficiency. Reach the cave on a short walk from Rosthwaite, taking in the war memorial on the summit of Castle Crag en route. Keep your eyes peeled for the faint inscription: ‘Don’t waste words, jump to conclusions’.
8. King’s Cave, Arran
Legend says this is where Robert the Bruce had his life-changing encounter with a spider. It’s one of a series of sandstone caves that rise above the Arran Coastal Way (nearby Black Cave below Bennan Head is also well worth visiting on a circuit of the island). Aside from the legend, the most fascinating thing about this cavern is the Christian and pre-Christian art adorning the walls, some carvings possibly dating to the Bronze Age.
9. Cathedral Cave, Lake District
Hidden above Little Langdale valley is a disused Lakeland green slate quarry riddled with tunnels and mines. The most spectacular is a 12m-high chamber known as Cathedral Cave. The National Trust sign at the entrance notes that you enter at your own risk, but if you’re intrepid enough to venture in then this man-made cavern with its high roof and clear pond is nothing short of spectacular. Elsewhere in the quarry there are some intriguing tunnels to explore, including one that’s around 400ft in length.
10. Prince Charles’s Cave, Skye
Another Scottish cave with romantic historical association, this narrow tidal cavern played host to Bonnie Prince Charlie during his last night on Skye. Access is restricted to a few hours around low tide, so check tide times before setting forth on the superbly scenic tramp south from Elgol. There are other underground attractions to explore along the way, too – continue around the peninsula to reach the cathedral-like Spar Cave, but plan your walk with care to avoid being stranded by the rising tide.
Article Source: The Great Outdoors Magazine (https://www.tgomagazine.co.uk/inspiration-and-ideas/top-10-best-caves/)
COVID 19 – Protective measures for out-of-school settings – Government Guidance
/in Covid-19/by Activities Industry MutualAs schools start to break up for the summer holidays we know many providers will be looking at what they can safely offer in terms of out of school clubs. The latest Government advice provided on 10th July 2020 gives more information about the measures required to undertake activities. This guidance is for organisations or […]
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