insurance

There are two areas of insurance that impact on these challenges.

The first is the specialist travel insurance policy which we offer to each individual client upon booking. It provides cover for cancellation before departure, and for illness, injury, evacuation, or medical expenses whilst on the challenge. For Charity Challenge 2009 and 2010 departures and Non UK Resident products, Challenges (Un) Limited t/a Charity Challenge (Firm Ref 491848) are an Appointed Representative of Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd (Firm Ref 305686) who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and whose status can be checked on the FSA Register by visiting www.fsa.gov.uk/register or by contacting the FSA on 0845 606 1234.

The second is the public liability insurance which we as a tour operator hold, to protect ourselves against claims of negligence. Please refer to the bottom of the page.

specialist travel insurance

charity challenge
It is a Charity Challenge Booking Condition that participants have a suitable travel insurance policy that will cover them for the adventurous nature of these challenges. If they choose to use their own travel insurance policy it must be of at least equal cover to the travel insurance policy we offer. We arrange specialist travel insurance cover for Charity Challenges with Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd (GTI). Cover is provided for both UK and Non UK residents, (please see below for more details.) This insurance covers among other things, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, cancellation and curtailment of the challenge. In addition, this policy will protect the charity, as you may (under the minimum sponsorship and flexi options) be contributing as much as £1800 towards challenge costs.

We appreciate that whilst participants may have their own personal travel insurance arrangements, it is not administratively possible for us to vet each and every one of their policies. Whilst we have taken steps, which we consider necessary to review this travel insurance policy, it is not possible to anticipate every conceivable risk or accident that can occur on an adventure challenge. In addition, no insurance policy covers every possible accident that may arise.

Participants are therefore requested to consider for themselves the wording of the policy that we offer. Nothing will prevent them from taking out additional cover from any insurance company over and above the cover provided under the travel insurance policy we offer. All prices include UK Government Insurance Premium Tax @17.5%.

If participants extend the duration of their trip, they will need to ensure that their travel insurance is extended to cover them for the full duration. We are happy to make the necessary arrangements on their behalf by extending the challenge insurance. Any request for an extension of cover should put in writing. If an additional premium is required, participants will be notified.

For both residents (for more than twelve months) of the UK, ROI, Isle of Man and Channel Islands and non residents, the travel insurance policy is arranged by Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd. and is underwritten by AXA Insurance UK plc. Both companies are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). If participants have any questions regarding this insurance, they should contact Global Travel Insurance on 01903 203 933 for advice and assistance. To read the complete GTI policy wording, please click here.

If participants are flying directly to join the group in country, (and have purchased their own travel insurance policy) they should ensure their insurance is extended (where necessary) to provide cover for the travelling time to and from their country of residence. If they have purchased our travel insurance policy, they should inform us of their flight details so we can ensure they are adequately covered.

community challenge
For all community challenges, a comprehensive travel insurance policy is included in the overall cost of the challenge. This policy covers participants specifically for manual labour on an international development charity managed building site. The ACE Guardian travel insurance policy is placed by MasterPolicy Insurance Brokers with ACE European Group Limited. Both MasterPolicy Insurance Brokers and ACE European Group Limited are members of and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. If participants have any questions regarding this insurance, you should in the first instance contact MasterPolicy Insurance Brokers on 01767 318200. A Policy Summary Document will be available in the participants’ member's area when they have been authorised by the charity. The ACE Guardian policy covers persons resident either within or outside the UK. To read the complete ACE Guardian policy wording please click here.

Sky Dive
Included in the cost of a Sky Dive is a British Parachute Association Liability Insurance Policy with £2 million of third party liability cover as well as cover for death and critical injury. Please note that this does not give any cover for personal accident, cancellation or curtailment. All jumpers are therefore advised to take out a policy that provides this cover. We can offer a policy which covers among other things; personal accident, cancellation and curtailment of the challenge. The policy covers residents (who have been resident for more than twelve months) of the UK, ROI, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The travel insurance policy we offer is arranged by Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd. and is underwritten by AXA Insurance UK plc. Both companies are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). If participants have any questions regarding this insurance, they should contact Global Travel Insurance on 01903 203 933 for advice and assistance. To read the complete GTI policy wording, please click here.

Your participants may already have their own travel insurance. If they ask “I have my own travel insurance policy already. Do I still need to take yours?” this is our reply:

We do appreciate that some of our participants do already have a travel insurance policy. However, there are 4 very strong reasons why we advise that each person travelling with on a Charity Challenge has the specialist travel insurance that we provide:

1. The policy specifically covers the adventurous nature of our expeditions, e.g. high altitude trekking, use of ropes and harnesses, white water rafting and so on.
2. The way the Charity Challenges are funded is unique in the travel market. Your charity in some circumstances pays as much as £1800 towards your costs. If you were to cancel within eight weeks of the departure, the charity would lose their contribution towards your challenge costs. We have specifically tailored the insurance cover so that in these exceptional circumstances (subject to the cancellation terms), the underwriters would refund you your deposit (minus any excess) and any tour costs paid out by the charity would be refunded to the charity. In this way our unique insurance protects the charity's money as well as yours.
3. Everyone on the challenge is covered by the same 24hr insurance emergency number. If there is a major medical emergency, we have one emergency number to use to obtain assistance for the whole group. For example should a helicopter evacuation be required there would be major issues if everyone had their own independent insurance, for they would each have to wait in turn to use the emergency satellite phone and to call their specific 24hrs emergency number. Each insurance company would then try and obtain the one helicopter in the area or country to evacuate just one person. In the interests of your safety we have to consider such scenarios, however unlikely, in our risk assessments.
4. By providing insurance cover which does give adequate medical emergency and evacuation cover, we shall not be faced with a situation where a client with inadequate insurance cover could not be quickly and effectively rescued because of inadequate insurance cover. Charity Challenge takes thousands of participants on challenges each year. We simply could not inspect every insurance policy to ascertain if it was adequate for all circumstances.

public liability insurance

Charity Challenge are comprehensively insured as tour operators. Out tour operator’s liability insurance includes public liability with up to £10,000,000 cover. Our insurers are Arnold Fisher underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance PLC and Zurich Insurance plc.