Club ~ Charity status

[Dewi]

Has any club set themselves up as a charity with the charity commission?

One criteria is:

Define your charitable purpose: The main purpose of your charity must be for the public benefit, and can include the advancement of amateur sport.

Many organisations we deal with for access permissions (which are only going up every year, and being re-introduced since a pause with COVID) recognise charity organisations and give favourable access rates.

Anyone have experience of this or is it a burdensome task?

Do BO have any general guidance on this (couldn't find any so may give them a call).

[Auld Badger]

Several Scottish clubs (ESOC, BASOC and most recently FVO) have gone down this route. Scottish regulations may be different from elsewhere in the UK, but I don't expect there would be massive differences.

Not sure on access, but I know there have been benefits already to FVO in applying for grants, etc, and it also means if we get sued (notwithstanding any protection under Event Insurance) our liabilities are limited to £1 per member, rather than the club committee risking losing their houses.