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Charity cake sale hit with insurance bill
A CHARITY cake sale in aid of heroic servicemen has been shot down – amid fears it would be too dangerous.
Parents of brave soldiers, sailors and flyers were hoping to stage a "colossal bake" event at two Fylde coast shopping centres in aid of the Help for Heroes charity.
But organisers were left stunned after bosses at Blackpool's Houndshill and Poulton's Teanlowe Centre said they could not take the risk.
They are demanding the Mags – "Mums and Grannies" – members of the Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Royal Marines Association – take out 150 Public Liability Insurance before they will allow the sales.
The ruling was today labelled "mad" by charity workers, leading councillors, ex-servicemen and even the insurance profession.
Organiser Margaret Taylor, of Staining, was staggered when asked to supply a picture of her proposed stall, a Portable Appliance Test Certificate and a Public Liabilities Insurance Certificate.
The insurance covers the shopping centres and charity should a member of the public injure themselves whist buying a cake.
Mrs Taylor, whose husband Mick was in the Royal Marines and sons Steve and Stuart have also served their country, said: "On Wednesday all the MAGs attended the funeral of Darren Smith, the Fleetwood marine who was shot and killed in Afghanistan last month.
"It was so moving – he risked life and limb fighting, so why do we have to use such hard earned funds to help his fellow soldiers to insure against someone getting injured by a cake?
"We were told the insurers said it would be 75 for an event visited by up to 250 people – we wanted to have two tables, so that would be 150. I couldn't believe it!"
Belinda Mitchell, national co-ordinator for Help for Heroes, said: "We put on a huge bake sale last year at Brooks Shopping Centre, Winchester, raising 5,400. They said as long as we put up signs warning that products contained nuts, we were fine."
Blackpool Councillor Ron Bell, who served in the Royal Marines for nine years and is secretary of the Northern Region of the Royal Marines Association, added: "This is another example of over-regulation getting in the way of common sense.
"I'm going to do everything in my power to stop the shopping centre from taking money from vital funds.
"Front-line soldiers have far more than cakes to worry about."
But Modus Corovest, the owner of the Houndshill Centre, today stood by its decision.
A spokesman said: "If Mrs Taylor wants to hold the sale here she would need insurance.
"Whether it's for charity or corporate events, all sales within any shopping centre in the UK need public liability insurance."
The spokesman added: "The chances (of an accident) are very slim, but they need to be covered in case anyone is injured at or near the stalls, and there is also a risk of allergies or poisoning, and people could try and sue."
However, Jo Stagg, spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "Public Liability Insurance is not compulsory, although it could be the centre's policy to require it.
"Risk assessment is about making the environment as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible."
A spokesman for BP Insurance, on Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, added: "The 150 does seem very high – despite the fact there would be very minimal risk.
"However, the insurance is not compulsory, it's down to the centre."
The MAGS are now holding a cake sale from 10am on March 21 at The Solaris Centre in South Shore.
Anthony Dimuantes, spokesman for Solaris, said: "We are happy to help. They don't have to pay insurance."
Management at The Teanlowe were unavailable for comment.
Help for Heroes was set up in October 2007 and is the only charity providing physical and psychological support to service personell injured in current conflicts.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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