BA of E Members Only

  The benefits that come with membership not only include "badminton" magazine but also the vital insurance package. this provides up to £300 physiotherapy treatment in the event of injury and public liability cover up to £5 million .

There is however a worrying trend of clubs not registering all of their members. This may be because of the misconception that only tournament and league players need to be registered. But accidents can happen to anyone at any time - not just in tournaments.

Imagine the situation . You are playing a game in a crowded leisure centre, you leap to play your winning smash and the racket slips from your grip, flies from the court and hits a child in the face. The child might loose an eye. The guilt you experience turns into worry when the child's family make a claim for damages against you.

Imagine your feelings when you then realise that you have paid your fees to your club but they have not forwarded them to the BA of E. You are not a registered member and therefore you are not covered by insurance.

Because the club secretary has failed to  register your name you may be able to make a claim for damages against the club secretary, who is in turn personally liable. The damages - in this case  for the loss of a child's  sight - may be massive.

But the claims record at the BAofE does show that accidents are all to common.

Unfortunately BA of E membership records show that there are a large number of clubs who do not register all their members. The BA of E are investigating one club reputed to have more than 80 members but who have registered just 26. So although the club in the short term, may have saved £380 it may have made some 54 members and the club secretary personally liable for expensive accidents.

There are of course benefits to the club as well as the individual being members of the BA of E. There are an increasing number of leisure centres and other venues that will not allow their facilities to be hired without a child protection policy in force .

If you are in doubt as to whether you are registered then I would urge you to check with the BA of E membership department. If the answer is no then tackle your club secretary.

Excerpt from the BA of E's Badminton magazine issue 6