Emma Christian, Churches, Bridges Insurance Brokers

Emma Christian has just been recognized in the 2018 Top Specialist Brokers report by Insurance Business UK

Emma Christian, Churches, Bridges Insurance Brokers
http://www.bridges-insurance.co.uk/

CHURCHES

Business development executive
Bridges Insurance Brokers

Emma Christian’s entry into insurance was slightly different from most. After writing a letter to Bridges Insurance Brokers’ managing director, whom she knew from church, Christian landed a summer job while attending university. After graduating, she worked for a Lloyd’s insurer and a large reinsurer for 10 years before returning to Bridges Insurance Brokers. Armed with knowledge about churches and a churchgoer herself, Christian found church insurance to be a natural fit.

IBUK: Are there any trends affecting how churches are insured?
Emma Christian:
The trend we’ve picked up on is that there has been a decrease in business that is written on long-term agreement. A long-term agreement means that the insured is fixing their rate for a defined period of time, usually three or five years. Sometimes churches don’t realise that they were tied in for such a long period of time and have had to wait to move to a policy without one.

This is an advantage because it offers peace of mind for the insured, because it means that their insurance cost won’t go up – other than index linking on the sums insured – even if they have a claim in that time. The disadvantage is that they can’t take advantage of increased competition and decreasing rates in the market because they are tied in for that time.

IBUK: What are the key factors you consider when arranging insurance for churches?
EC:
It is the church or charity’s activities, particularly unusual fundraising or community activities, that need to be declared to the insurer, so we need to get a good understanding of them. In the past, we have said to a client: “Unless you are doing something dangerous, such as canoeing or rock climbing ...” It turned out they were doing rock climbing and abseiling with children, which would have been an exclusion on the policy and needs to be specifically declared to the insurer to get coverage.

Also, when arranging cover for churches and charities, it is important to use an insurer that has experience in this type of business. We use the major carriers that understand churches, charities and the work that they do, which means that they can access a better rate than in the general commercial market and an understanding claims service.

IBUK: How have church and charity risks evolved over the years?
EC:
In the last 10 years, we have seen a rise in homelessness and an increase in the number of food banks in the UK. The church and charity sector has stepped in to help with providing food and shelter, and the insurance industry has had to step up to provide cover for these risks.

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