We know that having the right insurance cover is important. Our FAQs should answer all your questions, but if you have a query that isn't covered just get in touch and we will be happy to help:
Phone: 020 7939 6030 (Monday to Friday, 10am – 5pm)
Email: info@makingmusic.org.uk
About the different packages
The basic answer is that amateur groups do not pay their members anything at all to perform (apart from travel and sustenance expenses) whereas professional groups do. They are eligible for full membership and the lower insurance premiums. Semi-professional groups can of course also join Making Music, but as Associate members; and pay the appropriate Associate member insurance premium. Professional groups can join Making Music as Associate members but must contact Finch direct in order to obtain an insurance quote.
We appreciate that there are some grey areas to this which include:
Scenario 1: a group of amateurs, but which reimburses members' expenses, e.g. for travel and sandwich. Making Music will accept such a group into Full membership and so the group is eligible for insurance at the lower rate (provided that the group meets other Full membership criteria).
Scenario 2: a group of amateurs, but rather than reimbursing on receipts, the group give their members a fixed amount for a gig which roughly corresponds to expenses, e.g. £50. Making Music will accept such a group into Full membership and so the group is eligible for insurance at the lower rate (provided that the group meets other Full membership criteria).
Scenario 3: the musicians in the group have a day job and don't earn their living by carrying out the activities of the group, but members of the group get paid £100 each for each gig/performance. Making Music will only accept such a group into Associate membership and so the group is only eligible for insurance at the higher rate.
Simply call or send an email to Making Music’s insurance broker Finch (Tel: 0118 334 8868) makingmusic@finchinsurance.co.uk who will provide you with a quotation to include the additional cover you need.
You should ask for a ‘Custom’ quote if:
- Your income exceeds £100,000 a year
- You need cover in excess of the ‘Brass’ level, e.g. a higher level of property or cancellation / abandonment cover
- You need different insurance, e.g., buildings insurance, instruments or equipment cover
No – you will need to purchase ‘Silver’ cover if you require property cover.
Some but not all sections of the policy include cover for outside of the UK.
Public Liability: All Making Music insurance policies include public liability cover up to £5million; this section of the policy provides cover in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, any member country of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Employer’s Liability: All Making Music policies also includes Employer’s liability cover up to £10million; this section of the policy provides UK wide cover for the group’s activities. This includes cover in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
Property cover: The ‘Silver’ and ‘Gold’ insurance packages include differing levels of group owned property cover. All property is covered in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, any member country of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
All sections of the policy are governed by the relevant law of the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands depending upon your address as shown in the Schedule. If there is any dispute as to which law applies, then UK law will take precedent.
About the policy - Property
The sum insured will be the most we will pay. Our ‘Silver’ cover option provides cover for musical property up to £20,000 in value. If the value of your musical property needs increasing above £20,000, then you should consider upgrading to ‘Gold’ cover. If your property value exceeds the ‘Gold’ cover limit of £50,000 then you should consider 'Brass' cover. Or if your property value exceeds the ‘Brass ’ cover limit of £125,000 you should approach Finch for a ‘Custom’ policy.
If you have ‘Silver’,‘Gold’ of 'Brass' cover this includes cover for a group’s own property and any property hired or loaned to it. For policies running until the 31 December 2024 there is a single article limit of £5,000 (this increases to £10,000 for policies starting from the 1 Jan 2025 onwards) for any single piece of equipment or instrument hired in and the overall amount of cover is subject to the ‘Silver’ and ‘Gold’ cover limits. Cover is provided on a new for old basis and as such the sum to be insured should represent the cost of replacing the item with a modern equivalent.
The policy is intended to cover the member group for its liabilities and property owned by the group. Any property belonging to individuals should continue to be insured by the owner.
If you have ‘Silver’, ‘Gold’ or 'Brass' cover then any property hired or loaned to you is automatically covered. For policies running until the 31 December 2024 there is a single article limit of £5,000 (this increases to £10,000 for policies starting from the 1 Jan 2025 onwards) for any single piece of equipment or instrument hired in and the overall amount of cover is subject to the ‘Silver’, ‘Gold’ and 'Brass' cover limits.
Yes – as long it is stored safely and securely and there is evidence of forcible or violent entry to the building the musical property will be covered under the terms of the policy.
No – the insurance only covers property that is in the possession of the group or its members.
If the building is secure and there is evidence of forcible or violent entry to the property then the property would be covered. If the property goes missing without evidence of forcible entry to the property, this would not be covered.
You should take all reasonable precautions to prevent damage to and maintain the condition of the insured musical property.
Yes – provided the unit is leased to the musical group or one of its members. The building must be secure and there would need to be evidence of forcible or violent entry to the unit for the property to be covered in the event of a claim.
Yes – as long as it is stored safely and securely it will be covered
Yes - as long as it is concealed out of sight and the vehicle is locked and secured.
If it can be stored in the glove or luggage compartment or boot of the car then it should be. If it is too big it will still be covered as long as it is concealed out of sight and the vehicle is locked and secured.
Anything you can buy individually would count as a single item. For example a violin and a bow would be separate single items. It does not include replacements parts for an instrument – for example a barrel for a clarinet would not be classed as a single item.
The excess you will pay is as stated on your Schedule of Insurance within our membership portal.
Yes, assuming the full value is within the policy limits. If repair is possible, we will pay for the cost of repair.
If repair is not possible then we replace on a new for old basis. This means the cover will provide for the cost of buying a new version of the musical property (up to your policy limits). If the model of the item being replaced is no longer in production, we will replace with an equivalent model or specification.
About the policy - Directors and Officers Liability
Yes, this is included up to £100,000.
No the trustee liability applies to not for profit organisations as well as charities. So cover would be in place for directors of not for profit organisations.
Cover is provided for Trustees, directors or an officer or member of the committee of management of an organisation for personal liability claims made against them whilst acting in the capacity of their role. This includes well-meaning, but poor decisions or actions that cause loss or damage to the organisation. It does not cover deliberately dishonest or malicious decisions or actions.
About the policy – other
Finch covers musical directors who are engaged on a freelance basis as employees for the purpose of liability insurance, since the definition of an employee within the policy includes ‘any person supplied to you or hired or borrowed by you’.
Cancellation and Abandonment insurance is a useful cover to safeguard you against situations where you might have to cancel a concert and can’t recoup costs already paid out. Please check your policy documentation to be sure about what's covered, and what is excluded.
Cancellation and Abandonment cover provides some protection against cancellation due to extreme weather conditions, but only in situations where it would be dangerous to proceed with the event.
Any trailers should be preferably kept in a locked garage/compound and valuables removed when not in use. However, providing they are secured with a wheel lock then they can be added to the insurance policy. Please note that no cover is provided whilst the trailer is being towed, as this should fall to the motor insurance of the vehicle towing the trailer.
Some Making Music members use dance as part of their musical activities and the question has recently been raised as to how much dance is acceptable to qualify for our insurance cover – since the charitable aims of the organisation are to support those who perform and promote music. Our Insurers have always accepted that dance is a part of some musical activities but what is the golden rule? The rule is that dance should be incidental or complementary to the musical activity and that the dancing element should not be the main focus of your activity. If it is then you would be better served by a policy designed for dance groups.
There are no upper or lower age restrictions on our insurance except under the Cancellation and Abandonment and Money and Assault sections of the policy.
Under Cancellation and Abandonment there is no cover if an event is abandoned, cancelled or postponed following the death, injury or illness of any party over the age of 75.
The Money and Assault section of the policy covers any party between the age of 16 and 80.
The policy provides cover for activities carried out by First Aiders and ‘Good Samaritan’ acts where an honest and reasonable attempt to help has been made. This includes the use of debrillilators.
There is no disease exclusion under the Liability sections but in the event of any claim a Policyholder must be legally liable for the injury or damage that is being alleged. The Policy includes a Reasonable Precautions clause and therefore an indemnity under the Policy would require a policyholder to follow all relevant Government guidelines and instructions. Please contact Finch to discuss your enquiry in more detail:
- E: makingmusic@finchinsurance.co.uk
- P: 0118 334 8868
There has always been an exclusion under the event cancellation section for ‘communicable diseases’. If you have to cancel an event due to COVID-19 (or any other communicable disease) you cannot make a claim for the event under the event cancellation cover. This includes if the event is cancelled due to a government-enforced lockdown. This is a common industry wide exclusion for event cancellation cover. Please contact Finch to discuss your enquiry in more detail:
- E: makingmusic@finchinsurance.co.uk
- P: 0118 334 8868
If the country goes into national mourning due to the death of a member of the royal family or head of state the cancellation of an event will not be covered by the Cancellation and Abandonment insurance.
About your policy - admin
You can find your documents by logging in to your account and visiting your dashboard. If you have purchased custom cover, there may be a 24-hour delay before these are made available.
All insurance enquiries are handled by Finch. You can call them on 0118 334 8868 or email makingmusic@finchinsurance.co.uk
A summary of cover provides the significant benefits, features and limitations of the cover. The full terms, conditions and exclusions of your policy can be found in your policy wording, so please take time to read it in conjunction with the policy schedule and make sure you understand the cover provided.
If this cover does not meet your requirements, please return all your documents to makingmusic@finchinsurance.co.uk. If cover has not yet started, you will receive a full refund of the premium. If cover has started, we will refund the premium for the exact number of days left on the policy. No refund will be given if a claim has been submitted or there have been any incidents likely to give rise to a claim during the current period of insurance.
Our aim is to always provide a high standard of service to you. However, we recognise that things can go wrong occasionally and if this occurs, we are committed to ensuring matters are resolved promptly and fairly. If you wish to complain please contact Finch in any of the following ways using the contact details below:
- in writing (please mark your correspondence as ‘Complaint’);
- by e-mail (please mark your correspondence as ‘Complaint’);
- by telephone; or
- in person.
You can call Finch on 0118 334 8868 or email makingmusic@finchinsurance.co.uk
In all cases, please quote your insurance policy number or any other reference we have given you.
Finch will promptly acknowledge complaints on our behalf. Their complaints procedure is available on request and will be provided to you when they acknowledge receipt of any complaint that you make to us.
The Financial Ombudsman Service
If you feel that we have not been able to resolve any matter to your satisfaction after our complaints process or if you are unhappy with our decision, or one provided by Lloyd’s (where applicable) or if we did not complete our investigation and issue our final response letter within eight weeks, you may be entitled to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (“FOS”) by post, phone or email.
Post:
The Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR
Phone:
0800 0234 567 or 0300 123 9 123
Should you be unfortunate enough to have to make a claim, Covéa Insurance Commercial Claims will manage all aspects of the claim for you from the time it is reported.
Covéa Insurance Commercial Claims is a service operated 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Covéa have asked that their email address is used in the first instance when making a claim as they do require the group's current insurance schedule as part of this process. When initially contacting Covéa do ensure that the groups insurance schedule is attached, this can be found on the Making Music website under the My Dashboard section of your account.
You can notify Covea of a claim by calling: 0330 024 2266 or by email: newcommercialclaims@coveainsurance.co.uk, or by post:
Covéa Insurance Commercial Claims, A&B Mills, Dean Clough, Halifax, HX3 5AX
You must provide any information or help that Covea may reasonably ask for. You must not settle, reject, negotiate or agree to pay any claim. Full details of how to make a claim can be found in your policy document.
About the insurer
This Insurance is provided by Covea Insurance plc. Covea Insurance plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registration Number 202277. Registered Office: A & B Mills, Dean Clough, Halifax, HX3 5AX. Registered in England and Wales Number 613259.
You can check the regulatory status on the Financial Services Register by visiting the Financial Conduct Authority’s website: www.fca.org.uk/register.
Finch has been appointed as the preferred insurance broker to arrange cover for members of The National Federation of Music Societies.
Finch is a trading style of Advisory Insurance Brokers Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (reference number 313250). Registered office: 2 Mincing Lane, London, EC3R 7PDE. Registered in England and Wales No: 04043759.
The Financial Conduct Authority regulates financial services firms and financial markets in the UK. To find out further information please visit their website at www.fca.org.uk.
In relation to the sale of this policy we have only used a single insurer and in doing so we are not providing you with a personal recommendation based on a fair and personal analysis of the market. Before the insurance contract is concluded we will provide you with sufficient information, including a statement of demands and needs, to enable you to make an informed decision about the policy.
The National Federation of Music Societies or Finch will not offer any advice and you will need to make your own decision regarding the suitability of any policy of insurance purchased.
You should review the policy documents carefully to ensure they accurately reflect the cover, conditions, limits and other terms that you require. Particular attention should be paid to policy conditions and warranties as failure to comply with these could invalidate your policy. Claims can arise, under certain types of insurance contract, long after the expiry of the policy. It is therefore important that you retain and keep safely all documents associated with your policy.
The regulator for the insurance products is the Financial Conduct Authority. You can check this on the FCA’s Register website https://register.fca.org.uk/ or by contacting the FCA on 0800 111 6768.
The National Federation of Music Societies is an appointed representative of Advisory Insurance Brokers Limited, which is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Conduct Authority number 313250). The National Federation of Music Societies is a registered company in England and Wales, under company number 308632, and its registered office is at 8 Holyrood Street, London SE1 2EL.
We are covered by the FSCS. You may be entitled to compensation from the scheme if we cannot meet our obligations. Further information about compensation scheme arrangements is available from the FSCS website or by calling 0800 678 1100.
Making Music is a trading name for The National Federation of Music Societies.
The National Federation of Music Societies is an appointed representative of Advisory Insurance Brokers Limited, which is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Conduct Authority number 313250). The National Federation of Music Societies is a registered company in England and Wales, under company number 308632, and its registered office is at 8 Holyrood Street, London SE1 2EL.
Finch is a trading style of Advisory Insurance Brokers Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (reference number 313250). Registered office: 2 Mincing Lane, London, EC3R 7PDE. Registered in England and Wales No: 04043759.
