Cricket Wales Staff Update 16th April 2020

16th April 2020 | Mallory Gray

In light of the unprecedented and devastating impact currently being felt by sport and businesses, owing to the Coronavirus outbreak in the UK, Cricket Wales, in conjunction with its primary funding partners - and taking specific advice where necessary - has spent a number of weeks analysing the options to best respond to these challenges, and to protect both our sport and the jobs of Cricket Wales staff in the short-, mid- and long-term.

As a result of these discussions and deliberations, on Thursday 9th April, the Board of Cricket Wales approved a proposal to furlough approximately 25 contracted roles via the government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The vast majority of the furloughed roles are part-time and are primarily Chance to Shine Community Coaches and ECB-funded development positions. The furlough period will commence at close of play on Friday 17th April and will run until further notice, but minimally for an initial period of 3 weeks.

CEO, Leshia Hawkins said: “This is clearly not a decision that Cricket Wales has taken lightly, but in the context of this incredibly uncertain time for recreational cricket and the game’s finances as a whole – from professional to grassroots level - this is an important step to take, to help us ensure that we protect as many jobs as possible in the short-term, and to help us best safeguard and support cricket in Wales in the coming months. “I would like to reassure our stakeholders that our front-line service to clubs has been prioritised in our decision-making and we fully expect that, even though we will be temporarily operating with a reduced number of staff, our club support communications and offer should not be adversely affected and we will remain fully able to help guide clubs through this difficult period.

“We will, of course, continue to monitor the situation and will provide further updates to our network of clubs, communities, schools, volunteers and other key stakeholders in the coming weeks. We are resolutely committed to ensuring that Cricket in Wales comes back stronger than ever, when we are permitted to participate again, but in the meantime, I would like to place on record my thanks to our entire staff team, who have all been affected, in one way or another, by this decision, for both the professionalism they have shown, and the support they have offered myself and each other during this extremely challenging time.”