Volunteers and Insurance: What Every Charity Should Check
Volunteers play a vital role in helpingcharities deliver services, support communities and raise funds – and protectingthem begins with understanding how they fit within your charity’s insurancearrangements. That means checking whether your policies include volunteers,which activities are covered and what protection is in place if someone isinjured or a claim is made against your organisation.
The scale of volunteering highlights whythese checks matter. In England alone, 17% of adults volunteered formally atleast once a month in 2024/25, while 28% did so at least once during the year (
CommunityLife Survey 2024/25). As your charity’s activities develop, the roles andresponsibilities of your volunteers may change too. Reviewing your coverregularly helps you identify whether it still reflects the work they do and therisks they face.
An eight-point insurance checkfor voluntary organisations
If your organisation works with volunteers,it is important that you work through the following aspects with whoeverarranges your cover. None of it takes long, and all of it is easier to do now ratherthan after a claim.
1. Read the definition of“employee” in your Employers’ Liability policy.
This is the single most common gap. Somepolicies treat volunteers as employees for cover purposes, while others do notmention them at all. Do not assume - find the wording or ask your broker toconfirm it in writing.
2. Ask what happens whenvolunteers use their own vehicles.
A volunteer driving their own car tocollect a service user, deliver meals, or transport equipment may not becovered by their personal motor policy, which typically excludes anything thatlooks like business use. Check what your organisation’s cover does and does notinclude, and what you need volunteers to arrange themselves.
3. Check the age limits.
Public Liability and Employers’ Liabilitygenerally carry no age restrictions. Personal Accident cover usually does,because it is designed to compensate people of working age who cannot workbecause of injury. A typical band is 16 to 65, though many charity policiesstretch to 75 or 85. If you have retired volunteers - and a lot of charities do- this is worth comparing across insurers rather than accepting as standard.
4. Tell your insurer whatvolunteers do.
Not what the role description says.Ladders, power tools, minibuses, lone working, home visits, food preparation,work with children or vulnerable adults, events with the public: any of thesecan change the terms your insurer needs to apply.
5. Write a risk assessment foreach volunteer role.
A short, honest, written risk assessmentper role does two jobs: it protects the volunteer, and it gives your insurerwhat they need to tailor the policy properly instead of pricing a guess.
6. Display your insurance certificate and keep it current.
Make it part of your volunteer policy andinduction, not a document filed in a drawer. Volunteers are entitled to seethat they are covered.
7. Tell your insurer how many volunteers you have.
Volunteer numbers can affect your premium.They can also affect whether your cover is valid if the figure your insurerholds is no longer accurate – which can be the case after a busy recruitmentyear.
8. Review after any significantchange.
A new service, a new site, a large one-offevent, a jump in volunteer numbers: each is a trigger to pick up the phonerather than wait for renewal.
The covers most often relevantfor volunteers
Insurance is not
theinteresting part of volunteer management, but it determines what happens onyour worst day. Getting the definitions right, telling your insurer the truthabout what your volunteers do, and reviewing cover when your programme changescosts you an hour or two a year. It can be the cheapest protection availablefor your people, your trustees, and your organisation’s ability to keep going.
This guide was supplied by our partnerGambit Insurance Solutions, an independent, UK-based broker that worksexclusively with charities, community groups, clubs, societies and voluntaryorganisations.
To find out more, visit their websiteat: https://gambitinsurance.co.uk/ 
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