Grant to make bridge club scoring easier

The new devices will allow 32 members to benefit from them at each session

Funding for a new scoring system for bridge games will allow all members to take part by making tallying up the game easier, an Isle of Man club has said.

No Trump Bridge Club received £1,400 from Manx Lottery Trust to buy eight special devices that operate a scoring system for the card game.

The club which was launched in January 2023 and has about 50 members, had been using phone apps for scoring.

Chairman of the club Diccen Sargent said bridge was a "mind sport" with "quite complicated scoring" and the new equipment was a "very efficient" way to capture the scores.

'Keeps the mind active'

But Mr Sargent said that some members did not have smart phones so could not use the app, others were less comfortable using a mobile phones, and it also led to disruptions due to calls or notifications which caused distractions.

As one Bridgemate is needed for each table of four, the new equipment would serve 32 members in one evening, and Mr Sargent said it was rare for more than half of the members to attend a session.

He said the game was generally recognised as an activity that "keeps people sharp and mentally tuned in" as well as a good way to keep people's "mind active" .

Fellow member of the club Ruth Douthwaite said that the new equipment "would address the difficulties our members have faced with the previous scoring programme".