EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
OUR EDI STORY
When it comes to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Cheshire Cricket Board aspires to be a leading organisation within the cricketing community. This is why we are proud to share our current EDI story, which brings together our County EDI Plan (updated Jan 2024) and other strategies and objectives into one simple, compelling narrative.
OUR EDI PLAN
The Cheshire Cricket Board Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan (updated Sept 2023) underlines the Board’s commitment to delivering EDI throughout recreational cricket in the county, while seeking to tackle discrimination in all its forms. The Cheshire Cricket Board has adopted the ECB Anti-Discrimination Code
EDI runs through the heart of everything we do and as such this plan should not be read in isolation. In addition to the Board’s overarching Countywide Plan, we have developed a number of individual strategies including an Urban Action Plan, Women & Girls Development Plan and a Disability & Inclusion Strategy, all of which seek to address the opportunities and challenges faced by under-represented groups in grass roots cricket.
This plan has been developed with other key stakeholders (including Cheshire County Cricket Club and Cheshire Youth Cricket) and aims to make cricket more accessible and to help connect communities through their shared passion for the sport. It aligns closely with ECB’s own EDI Action Plan but is ultimately however, a plan for ‘Cheshire Cricket’ that directly supports the involvement of all members of our wider Cheshire Cricket Family.
ECB Response to the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report - 25 Sept 2023
The ECB is today (25th September 2023) publishing details of further steps it will take to make cricket a more inclusive sport in response to the recent report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC).
Wide-ranging action aims to tackle discrimination and break down barriers for women and girls, people from lower socio-economic groups, and ethnically diverse communities. It will accelerate work already underway across the game designed to make cricket the most inclusive team sport in England and Wales – and aims to address the ICEC’s conclusions that structural and institutional racism, sexism and class-based discrimination continue to exist across cricket.
Today’s response follows a three-month period of consultation following the report’s publication on 27th June. ECB have today announced they will be taking forward most of the ICEC’s recommendations (some have already been implemented) while others will be implemented in slightly different ways or to a different timescale. There are a small number or recommendations that will not be taken forward, and the rationale for this is given in the formal ECB response.
Richard Thompson, ECB Chair, said: “On the day the ICEC published its report, I apologised without reservation on behalf of cricket’s wider leadership to anyone who has suffered discrimination or felt excluded from our sport. As well as reiterating that apology here, I reaffirm our absolute commitment that cricket will strive to become the most inclusive sport in England and Wales.
“There is no doubt that the ICEC highlighted to great effect the impact of discrimination on individuals and the extent of the systemic challenges to be addressed. Its in-depth analysis also presented an opportunity to put in place a comprehensive plan of action that will deliver meaningful change and rebuild trust among the communities we serve.
“This response represents a set of actions that will accelerate and intensify our work to make cricket a game for everyone, actions that cricket can deliver and fund within an achievable timeframe. It builds on a huge amount of work which is already under way right across the network.
“Cricket hasn’t got it right in the past, but this is an opportunity to move forwards together. I’d urge everyone to now come together, to put their energy and effort into delivering these actions, and to playing their part in ensuring cricket becomes England and Wales’s most inclusive team sport.”
Cheshire Cricket stands against discrimination in all its forms and is committed to ensuring that cricket is a game for everyone. We share ECB’s ambition to make cricket the most inclusive team sport in England and Wales and we look forward to further consultation with ECB and other stakeholders to drive positive change throughout recreational cricket.
ECB’s response to the ICEC Report - 25 Sept 2023
Report Discrimination here
ICEC Report - 27 June 2023
ECB statement in response to ICEC report - June 2023
Watch ECB Chair Richard Thompson's video message response to the ICEC Report - June 2023
ECB Whistleblowing – Reporting Discrimination
Cheshire Cricket Board stands against discrimination in all its forms and are committed to ensuring that cricket is a game for everyone. If you have experienced or witnessed discrimination you can report it through the ECB’s website.
Reports will be triaged by the ECB and investigated by the relevant cricket organisation.
EDI NEWS FEATURES & RESOURCES
Players, members, volunteers and officials of Cheshire clubs are encouraged to complete the ECB ‘Raising the Game’ e-learning module to discover more about equity, diversity and inclusion within the context of recreational cricket. This interactive 30-minute module helps to raise awareness of these important topics and how we can work together to ensure everyone can say ‘cricket is a game for me’.
Anti-Discrimination Code
ECB Inclusive Language Guide
Kit Recycling Programme
Black History Month - October 2022
Rainbow Laces – August 2022
ECB Raise The Game