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Benefits of the Mutual – Facts

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We 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.
  • 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!

 

AIM celebrates 1,000 Members!

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Public Liability Claims – Defence success for Member

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We think it is important to publish details of judgement’s in Public Liability trial cases so that the Mutual and Members can use this valuable lessons learned information.  It also demonstrates that the Mutual will try to defend liability claims where it feels appropriate.  The details below have been provided by our legal colleagues at Clyde & Co who successfully defended this case.

Overview

The claimant, aged 14, suffered from Laurence Moon Beidl Syndrome which affected his eyesight. He was registered partially blind. The claimant often attended Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind  (“SRSB” – 1st defendant) for after school club and activities. SRSB took the claimant for a bouldering session at the premises of (“the Centre” – 2nd defendant).

Circumstances of Claim

Once at the Centre the claimant participated in warm up activities and then climbed one of the junior boulders. He did so with minimal assistance though he needed some help to get over the top of the wall. The wall had an enclosed chute/slide, which was popular with children, and which offered a means of descent. The chute was known to be fast. The claimant was instructed to slide down the chute and upon reaching the ground, he injured his ankle.

It was the claimant’s case that the enclosed chute was not safe for him, as his condition meant that his eyesight significantly worsened in dim conditions and that in going down the chute he had become disorientated.

Outcomes

It was accepted by all parties that the specifics of the claimant’s condition were not made known to the Centre staff, though the Centre knew he had a visual impairment. Visually impaired clients had used the chute in the past with no incidents, though the number was small.

The claimant alleged that the SRSB – 1st Defendant’s risk assessment in relation to the activity was inadequate and that a suitable assessment would have shown that the chute was not safe for this particular claimant. The Court agreed. Furthermore, the judge held that had the Centre instructors known that the chute was likely to disorientate the claimant, an alternative method of descent from the boulder wall could have been offered. The Court held that the Centre was not obliged by law to proactively enquire about the claimant’s condition and that it was entitled to rely on SRSB – 1st Defendant to draw any specific matters to the Centre’s attention.

The claimant was therefore successful in his claim against SRSB – 1st Defendant but unsuccessful against the Centre.

If you have any questions or queries about Public Liability cover and or the way the Mutual handles claims please get in touch.

Details of Clyde & Co : [email protected]

 

 

Create a Coronovirus NHS QR Code for your venue

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Use this service to create a QR code for display in your venue. Get visitors to scan the QR code when they arrive, using the NHS COVID-19 app. This is to help trace and stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

You should create and display a QR code if you are:

  • a business, place of worship or community organisation with a physical location that is open to the public
  • an event which is taking place in a physical location

If you have more than one venue, you need to create a separate QR code for each location. You can add multiple locations in the service.

https://www.gov.uk/create-coronavirus-qr-poster

COVID 19 Update – AIM help for Members

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This has been an extremely distressing and stressful time for us all and we are acutely aware of how severe the impact of this pandemic has been for all our Members.   We have been working hard to be able to assist you and to answer your requests for payment holidays while many of you have businesses which have closed and all have cashflow problems.

AIM wants to do all we can to assist our Members. 

Those who have paid their contribution in full as one payment are being contacted separately.

For those Members who make monthly payments, we are offering a 3 month holiday break from payments for the period 1st May to end July 2020.  During this period, we will not expect you to make the usual monthly payment, and will allow until 30th September 2020 for these payments to be paid.  Your cover will continue.  If however you have any claims during this period (liability or property), we will need to receive payment in full for any missed months before being able to handle any claim for you.  If you are unable to make the payments by the 30th September 2020, please contact us.  If payments cannot be made up then we may have to cancel your cover.  If you do not want to have the payment holiday, please let us know immediately, otherwise we will not take any monies for these three specified months.

Alternatively if you are not able to carry out any activities, and only have Public Liability cover, you may prefer to pause your cover for a 3 month period until 31st July 2020, or until you are able to resume activities if earlier or later.  During this period, we would not seek any contributions from you if you have requested a pause in your cover but there would not be any cover in place during this time.  You will need to advise us as soon as you are able to recommence activities so we can ensure you have the correct cover in place.

Property and Employers’ Liability covers continue and we recommend to Members that you keep these covers in place.  These contributions will still be due, but are included in the payment holiday as above.

Business Interruption

In addition we wish to reassure Members that we have been in correspondence with the Mutual’s backing insurers regarding the Business Interruption wording and whether or not cover will be afforded by the insurer.  Those discussions continue and whilst the current position remains that it is unlikely that cover will be available, we are reserving our position with them.  We will update Members with any developments, albeit this may take some time.