14th June 2023
| Mallory Gray
Cricket Wales and Glamorgan County Cricket Club were the proud winners of the inaugural Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative Award at the WSA Sports Industry Awards, held at Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff last week.
The award recognises the work that Cricket Wales and Glamorgan - and the whole cricket network - have done to make cricket a more inclusive sport for all in Wales.
In March 2022, the two organisations combined to create the first joint Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) plan for cricket in Wales.
Since then, they have doubled down on their efforts to make cricket the most diverse, inclusive and fair sport in the Country.
The team has worked tirelessly to reduce barriers, smash perceptions and break stigmas to continue taking cricket to some of the most under-represented groups in sports participation.
At the recent annual review meeting, The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB)’s County Partnership Agreement (CPA) Assessments for both Cricket Wales and Glamorgan have resulted in an overall “Leading Organisation” ranking for EDI, commenting:
“We applaud Cricket Wales for having led the way in undertaking significant work around EDI for many years before others within cricket, including its focus on women’s and girls’ cricket, and achieving Equality Standard for Sport accreditation.”
“Glamorgan was one of the first Counties to have EDI objectives in place for its Executive, which is to be commended.”
With initiatives spanning both the Professional and Recreational games in Wales, we have seen a huge growth in those taking up the game from diverse backgrounds.
The total membership of Clubs in Wales are significantly more ethnically diverse with Ethnic Minority senior membership having grown from 7% in 2013 to 13% in 2022 and junior memberships having grown from 6% in 2013 to 11% in 2022.
There has also been impressive Women & Girls’ cricket growth, with Girls’ participation in the sport up 55% since 2021: 88% since 2018 and 287% since 2013.
Community and Development Manager for Glamorgan Cricket and Cricket Wales, Mark Frost, said: “This has been a whole game effort and it is amazing to get this recognition.
“It has been brilliant to see professional cricketers’ cultural needs met at Sophia Gardens, an international stadium which is welcoming, making everyone feel at home.
“We have also reached into communities and schools that have never had cricket, turning the curve for women and girls with the majority of clubs now offering Women and / or Girls’ cricket.
“We are clear that we are in this for the long haul and really mean it when we say that Cricket in Wales is a game for everyone.
“It has been fantastic to see how people across both Cricket Wales and Glamorgan Cricket embed diversity and inclusion into their work so that we can reduce the disparity of children growing up in Wales having or not having the choice to play cricket.”
Cricket Wales Chief Executive, Leshia Hawkins, added: “I am so unbelievably proud of - and grateful to - everyone involved, across both our organisations and in our volunteer network who continue to work tirelessly to make cricket in Wales the most inclusive it has ever been, and our sport the absolute best it can be.
“With such a long-standing and evidencable commitment to equality at all levels of our Board and Executive, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion is now in our DNA and has genuinely become ‘business as usual’ for Cricket Wales. We are nonetheless extremely proud and deeply honoured to receive this recognition from the Welsh Sports Awards, and the kind feedback of our peers in the industry about our work in this critical area.”