The Charity Commission has opened a consultation on the advancement of amateur sport as a charitable aim and is particularly inviting comments on whether games such as chess, bridge and cribbage can be deemed to promote people’s health.

The consultation follows the registration of Hitchin Bridge Club as a charity earlier this month. It is the first charity ever registered with the aim of advancing amateur sport by promoting the game of bridge.

The consultation, which will run until 31 May, is around “when it is appropriate for organisations to adopt the advancement of amateur sports or games as a charitable aim and what can be done by charities to advance that aim for the public benefit”.

The Commission has highlighted one of the questions in the consultation as particularly pertinent: What may be needed to show that regularly playing games of mental skill or exertion promotes health?

This issue was considered by the Commission when it registered Hitchin Bridge Club as a charity. Other games mentioned as examples in the consultation include chess and cribbage.

Rosie Chapman, the Commission’s executive director of policy and effectiveness, said that now that the Charities Act has denoted advancing amateur sports or games as a charitable aim in itself, it was time to explore what that means.

“We are particularly interested in hearing views on what types of sport or game which involve mental, as opposed to physical, exertion might be capable of being charitable.”

Once the consultation closes and the submissions have been considered the regulator will produce guidance for charities.

The Commission has also today published the assessment reports of its final four public benefit assessments, looking at sport and recreation charities. One of the four, a tennis club in Hertfordshire, has failed the test.  Click here to read more.