Disappointed

[keeley24]

Does anyone here have any idea about rules for people running BI charities? I have been attending a BI charity for last few year and wanted/wanting to walk the 3 Yorkshire peaks with them. It’s been an ongoing debate between me and the man who set the group up. It’s been we will do it, we won’t do it, we will do it and now we won’t.

Cutting long story short we was going to do them next year starting with 1 working up to 3. The man has today said he has checked with an insurance company to see if it’s possible for them to do it with me and they have said they won’t insure them because it’s too high risk as my balance isn’t 100% it’s good enough to manage day to day walking and I can balance on one leg like 5 seconds. So I feel I could manage or even have a stick to help if needed, but they say there’s no way they can do this with me cos of insurance.

Does make sense but I have no idea how running charities work or if there would be a safe way round this.

[HungryHufflepuff]

I am surprised that a brain injury charity won’t take a brain injured person. Maybe you can find others in your area. There are usually groups run by or for people with physical and mental needs.well I think so anyway or maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part? I’m pretty sure I’ve heard of boats adapted to wheelchair users, skiing for visually impaired people, trails for people in wheel chairs, and so on. I hope you can find something.

[keeley24 in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

It’s cos of the risk involved. The group is for social times and days out like we have been bowling a few times, Yorkshire wildlife and stuff like that.

We have been on walks most easy ones but have done 2 which were tougher one in Brantingham where 2 did feel dizzy and had to go back which I managed fine then one in Hope valley which was the one that made the man change his mind about more walks towards Yorkshire peaks. I expected to manage fine but struggled from the start even feeling dizzy cos I hadn’t eaten 2 mile in. I had no idea not eating can make you feel dizzy, but I will never make that mistake again. I did manage the rest of the walk better after eating which was another 7 mile.

So it’s cos of Hope valley he’s changed his mind and he does like to see people succeed so it’s like heart vs head risk vs succeeding.

I am going to be talking to him about this on Monday so will be trying to remember everything I want to say. I’m not expecting him to change his mind and going to try my best not to make it about that but more about everything that’s been done, said and why it’s only now he mentions needing insurance.

[sospan]

It is nothing to do with the Charity or indeed the Insurance company. It will be the Underwriters behind the insurance company.

The Charity will have a basic insurance to cover everyday activities. However, for unusual events like the 3 Yorkshire Peaks event, they will need specific cover. The Underwriters will place specific conditions on whom can attend, ratio of staff to members etc.

This where the issues came from

[keeley24 in reply to sospan]

What exactly does them having insurance do or cover them for? I’m guessing it’s to do with legal side if anyone tried to make a claim against them. Also 2 years back we did a walk at hope valley which I struggled with but it was cos of not eating before it. It’s this that has put the staff off doing walks like this which I understand but there is no way I would let the same happen again. For this walk I had to sign an agreement that I was wanting to do this walk and was aware of the risks and was safe to do it also my mum had to sign as she has helped me with things after BI. So I’m wondering what was the point us having to sign if it wouldn’t protect the charity from being in trouble if anything went wrong?

[sospan in reply to keeley24]

You have answered your own question "I’m guessing it’s to do with legal side if anyone tried to make a claim against them." the claim will be met by the insurance underwriter and nothing to do with the law.

[keeley24 in reply to sospan]

Ok is there anything at all that could protect them from someone being able to make a claim against them like if the person had signed to say they was ok to do this walk or anything? I have written a little note confirming it is me and only me that’s wanting this walk to go ahead and signed it but I’m not sure it would stand up in court. It would never ever get to court as there is no way I would blame the staff or charity if anything went wrong but only me can know that for sure unless they took the risk.

Also I just want to make this completely clear I would never ever try to get the charity or staff in trouble but I need to know this more to back up that I wouldn’t try to get them in trouble. 2 years back we did a walk at Hope valley and I did feel dizzy and have to sit down. The man who I’m wanting to do the peaks with was with me and got me to eat and I felt better and completed the walk. Would there have been a way I could have tried to get them in trouble for that? I only want to know to point out to them I didn’t try to get them in trouble then and I wouldn’t now.

[sospan in reply to keeley24]

The problem is that whilst you are more than happy to waive any accountability to the charity, the Health and Safety Executive, Charities Commission etc. won't accept that if something disastrously goes wrong.

Sadly we are in a world of risk assessments and rules which quite often are overkill and don't make sense to rational people