Minibus insurance for Scouts

Minibus and motor insurance for Scouts

Insurance cover for your Scout minibus and other vehicles

Staying Legal - Whether you own them or use them

Insurance for minibuses and motor vehicles is not optional and is a legal requirement . Driving your vehicle on a road or in a public place without motor insurance is an offence, so it is important to ensure your vehicle is insured. 

You need to insure your vehicle unless it is kept off the road and declared as off the road (SORN) . This rule is called ‘continuous insurance enforcement’. If not, you could:

  • get a fixed penalty of £100
  • have your vehicle wheel-clamped, impounded or destroyed
  • face a court prosecution, with a possible maximum fine of £1,000

You don’t have to be driving to be caught, simply owning the vehicle and not having insurance can lead to you being prosecuted.

Our motor insurance policies cover vehicles owned by your Group like minibuses, karts, quad bikes and other vehicles used on campsites.

What’s covered?

  • Comprehensive policies come with a higher excess but substantially protect vehicles owned by your Group or in its custody from accidental damage.

  • Third party fire and theft policies extend fire and theft cover to a third party only policy.

  • Third party only policies are legally required in the United Kingdom and only protect against injury, loss or damage to third parties. (It will not cover your vehicle for accidental damage, if it is stolen or damaged by fire. This means that any damage to your minibus would have to be paid for by your Scout Group.)

UK law stipulates that Third Party Only insurance is the legal minimum type of minibus insurance.

Contact Unity Insurance

Call us:

03450407731

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Our Scout minibus insurance policy 

With our detailed knowledge and understanding of Scouting we’re able to provide policies suitable for your minibuses, whether your group owns them or hires them.

Our Annual Minibus Policy 

Cover includes:

  • Accidental damage to the vehicle
  • Windscreen cover (comprehensive only)
  • Personal accident cover for the driver and passengers
  • Nationwide network of approved repairers
  • 24 hour dedicated UK-based minibus claims team
  • Replacement of keys or lock transmitter
  • Liability to third parties
  • Risk management advice is available as standard.

Owned by the Scouts

unity is owned by the scouts

 

Special features of our Scout Annual Minibus Insurance

Standard cover includes loaning or hiring your minibus to other Scout Groups and Guide Units with an option to extend to include loan to other non-profit making organisations

UK Breakdown cover through the AA including Roadside assistance, onward travel and home start.

European Breakdown service extension

30 days European use extension

New vehicle replacement within 12 months of purchase.

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Our Short Period Minibus Policy

Short period minibus insurance is ideal for groups hiring or borrowing a minibus either to weekend camps or on longer expeditions. No more ringing around parents to find enough spare seats to transport your Scouts and Cubs to and from camp, when you couldn’t get a minibus because of insurance issues.

Driving licence requirements for a minibus

For current advice on driving licences and driving a minibus, see the “Driving a minibus” page on the UK government website.

Minibus Permits 

All Scout Groups, Districts and Counties who operate a minibus, either owned, borrowed or hired, require a Standard Bus Permit.

A Standard Bus Permit allows voluntary organisations, such as Scout groups, to charge or accept a form of remuneration for providing transport for their own members, without having to comply with the full PSV operator licensing or PCV driver licensing requirements. 

You can purchase the Section 19 Minibus Permits from the Scout Information Centre.  For more information can be found on the Scouts website on their “Minibus Permit” page.
 

'Cover was arranged easily and explained well. Everyone I speak to at Unity is Scout focused.'

Booreatton

Insurance for other vehicles owned or operated by Scout groups.

As well as minibuses, we can also arrange insurance for other motor vehicles.


Go-karts and quad bikes

Go-karting and quad biking are recognised Scout activities and Scouts taking part in properly organised and controlled karting and quad biking are covered by the Personal Accident and Medical Expenses Policy, in respect of potential injuries to themselves.

The Scout Association’s Public Liability Policy does not cover the potential liability of the individual participant when he or she is actually driving a kart or quad bike on a public road.  We can arrange this motor liability cover for groups.  

We can also arrange insurance for groups who own go-karts, quad bikes or All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) for accidental damage, fire and theft.

Site vehicles

Many campsites (and indeed some Groups) operate mechanically propelled vehicles on their land. These vary from simple ‘sit and ride’ lawnmowers through to tractors and dumper trucks! Whilst the law does not require Motor Liability Insurance to be in force for vehicles not licensed for use on public highways, it is obviously sensible for suitable insurance to be in force. 

We can offer a range of covers from basic third party only through to fully comprehensive.

Hired vehicles

Hired vehicles, such as lorries and vans and carnival floats, are usually insured by the hire firm, and this should include legal liability to passengers. 

The extent of the cover, and any limitations regarding persons entitled to drive, should be checked carefully with the hire firm. In connection with borrowed vehicles, enquiries should be made of the vehicle’s normal insurers regarding the extent of cover and whether the insurance is in order for the purpose for which it is to be used.