If, like many other people across the length and breadth of the country, you are in the throes of organising a Diamond Jubilee party to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 glorious years on the throne, it is not too late for you to put necessary measures of liability insurance in place.
It might seem like laborious and unnecessary red tape when you have reveling on your mind. Yet, rather than viewing liability cover negatively, think of it as your financial safety net in case anything untoward happens, or doesn’t quite go to plan. You are dealing with a party – and the very nature of parties entails an almost unlimited list of things can go either slightly or horribly wrong.
If and when they do, the finger of blame might be pointed in your direction, accompanied by a compensation claim against you.
You might be a newcomer to the world of event organisation, keen to ensure that your street gets in to the party spirit of the nation, and that Jubilee fun is had by all the family in your local community. You may be an event management professional, or you might own or work at a hotel or other type of event venue. Whatever your individual circumstances are, it would be unwise of you to simply assume and hope that nothing will go amiss at your Diamond Jubilee party.
Due to the nature of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, chances are that you will be hosting families spanning a broad spectrum of ages. In some cases you might be dealing with your own staff and a variety of suppliers, in addition to the Great British Public. An individual from any of these categories might suffer damages to their possessions or property, have an accident, or become ill, as a direct result of your Diamond Jubilee knees up.
Whether you are planning a street party or an indoor celebration at an event venue, there are different types of liability policies to offer you an appropriate safety net against claims for accidents, damages or illnesses.
What Sort of Liability Cover Might Diamond Jubilee Parties Warrant?
When involved in the organisation of a Diamond Jubilee party, your specific need for liability cover is dictated by exactly what you are planning to do. In the first instance, you are well advised to talk to a Local Government representative, who will take an overview of your arrangements and make the appropriate suggestions.
If your street party is a private event on an invitation only basis for neighbouring families, it is sometimes the case that a public liability policy is not necessary. However, if you are a member of a Residents Association or a similar committee, and you are throwing the doors of your street party open to other people besides residents, then temporary insurance for one off events is often the way forward.
Single event liability insurance can offer you the best of both worlds. It gives you the same level of indemnity cover that seasoned event organisers have at their disposal, usually representing between £2 – 5 million worth of claims protection. However, it is not onerous to organisers of one off events, as you are not burdened with aspects of liability cover you don’t need – and you only pay for those that you do need.
Things that you need to take in to consideration when looking for the most suitable liability cover for your street party include:-
Public Liability
Regardless of your own personal opinions on the matter, contemporary litigious culture dictates that someone is usually to blame for accidents, damages, injuries and illnesses – and, when someone can be blamed, there is a case for a claim.
In real terms, imagine the things that hopefully won’t go wrong at your street party, but could.
- A guest might go down with a nasty stomach bug after partaking of your barbecue or buffet – potential grounds for a claim.
- A child could suffer cuts, bruises, even broken bones, by falling off a bouncy castle that is momentarily left without adult supervision – potential grounds for a claim.
- A sky lantern may cause damage to a neighbouring property – you guessed it, potential grounds for a claim.
Employers Liability
Whether you are planning to pay anyone to help with the organisation and delivery of your street party, or even if you have coerced some voluntary help out of your friends and neighbours, you are wise to include Employers Liability in your policy.
If they hurt themselves, suffer damages to their personal belongings, or become ill as a direct consequence of your negligence, they are within their rights to instigate claims against you.
Cancellation
As the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is a once in a lifetime thing, chances are that you have a contingency plan in place, just in case any unforeseen emergencies arise that force you to call off your street party. If you have no Plan B, and are investing your faith in the British weather, you should perhaps think about covering yourself against cancellation.
It is particularly prudent to do so if your street party is a ticketed event for which people pay you in advance to secure their places. Should inclement weather conditions, or any other unfortunate circumstances, cause your street party to be cancelled, disgruntled ticket holders will bang on your door, asking for their money back.
Unforeseen cancellations also impact adversely on any suppliers whose products and services you have enlisted. From chocolate fountains to royal family look-alikes, ice luges to DJs – all external suppliers are expecting business to be at a premium around the Diamond Jubilee. Any unexpected last minute cancellations will be deeply damaging to them.
It is almost a certainty that they will have turned away many other customer enquiries in order to service your requirements. Understandably, many suppliers will swiftly levy hefty cancellation charges so as not to be left out of pocket during such a peak period.
How Does Diamond Jubilee Party Public Liability Really Help if Anything Does Go Wrong?
It is well worth bearing in mind what liability cover that is not simply about doom, gloom and scaremongering. The taking out of any insurance policy cannot and does not prevent accidents, damages and illnesses from happening. So think of it as your peace of mind against any aspects of your party that have the potential to cause you financial and reputational damage.
Should the worst come to worst, and any incidents result in claims against you, your public liability policy offers you financial back up and protection. Without it, any compensation ultimately awarded to claimants can be pursued from your own pocket.
After all of the hard work you are putting in, it is not too much to ask that you should have the opportunity to enjoy the Diamond Jubilee as much as all the other guests. Enjoy a day to remember, safe in the knowledge that you are financially covered if things don’t run quite so smoothly as you hope.
