15th May 2020
| Mallory Gray
Behind the scenes a lot has been happening in response to the Corona-virus Pandemic. This story looks at what the recreational game has been doing and what Glamorgan Cricket has been up to.
Grounds support
To address concerns about Club Grounds issues (including access), providing guidance for ground maintainability via a GMA online course and also a Q&A with Glamorgan Cricket’s Head Groundskeeper, Robin Saxton, (end May) who will provide top tips as well as answering questions from Clubs. Click here
Club support Club grants & Leagues support
This is the biggest area of COVID work for Cricket Wales' staff helping clubs access funding to cope with the lockdown. Check here for more details.
It has also been a good time for keeping all Clubs up-to-date with latest info on safeguarding training
Google Classroom
This platform has also be used effectively with over 400 young people on our pathway to provide physical, mental and skill content to work on at home.
Club Charity Support:
Many Clubs have been generating films and events across individual households to support charities. Good examples include:
- Cresselly CC (Dad vs sons who play for rival club Lawrenny CC), raised well over £1,000 for NHS Charities
- Penarth CC who have raise money for The Better Life Appeal click here
- Buckley CC’s #BCCBigRunChase was set up to raise vital funds for the club during this period, with part of thefunds raised being donated to a local food bank. Click here for the full CASE STUDY
Podcasts
Jones the Bat has created a series of Podcasts about recreational players across Wales click here
Professional Cricketer Q&A:
Cricket Wales has launched a series of network generated questions, from young and old, in which Glamorgan players will self record videos for Cricket Wales to post across the Welsh cricket network. submit your questions here
#TwitterCoinToss
Hosted by Carmarthen Wanderers (Carl Holding), this competition now has 128 clubs in its current format with each round hosted and filmed by a cricket network person who sets the scene and creates the result. This has generated a lot of intra-club engagement with clubs selecting teams and then coping with the aftermath of those not included!
#VirtualSEWCL
Spearheaded by Lisvane CC @lisvanecc who are using the original schedule of fixtures, loading them into an auto generated fixture programme and creating results and player scores from it. This has also generated a lot of SM club activity.
Cricket Wales’ Question of Sport
This event engaged many competitors across Wales and generated over £1,000 for the mental health charity ‘Opening Up Cricket’ Read more here:
Food Poverty
Community-based charities Working with Citizens Cymru Wales (registered charity 1107624) we are supporting a Covid-19 Response Fund to help local community groups across Wales to tackle food poverty. The funds will be distributed by Citizens Cymru Wales to foodbanks and other food poverty initiatives who need it most. The first four organisations to benefit will be the Al Ikhlas Centre Foodbank in Cardiff, the Pontypridd Foodbank, Race Council Cymru’s Swansea BAME Hub, and the Coed Mawr Community Centre Foodbank in Bangor. A joint JustGiving page has been set up, which we will promote across our social channels to rally support from the Glamorgan fanbase. We also plan to auction items to raise money.
NOMINATE YOUR NHS HERO:
Gesture of gratitude and thanks from Glamorgan Cricket to all NHS staff.Nomination form process to win 5 free tickets to future T20 fixture. Audience:All Channels:Socials, website, email, OOH – Arms Park digital billboard. Results to date 135 Nominations via survey 73 new contacts 476 Unique page views Find out more here
NHS Volunteers
The following members of our staff have also offered their time as volunteers to the NHS: Mark Wallace, Director of Cricket Matt Maynard, Head Coach Mike Claydon, NCC Manager and Community Officer Tom Cullen, Cricketer Georgina Ewer, Head Physiotherapist Tom Gilpin, Assistant Physiotherapist.
#GETFITWITHGLAM
Intended as a series of keep fit at home with players/strength & fitness coach (pre-furlough) Audience: All club followers Channels: Socials, YouTube, email to members
BUILD YOUR PERFECT GLAMORGAN BATSMAN
A series of fan voting polls to find out the best batsman from the club based on type of shot Audience: All club followers Channels: Website, Socials, Email to members Results: 68 poll survey forms completed
#WELSHCRICKETBAKEOFF
Baking competition over the Easter weekend to win ‘The Ultimate Family Match Experience’ at Sophia Gardens Audience: Welsh Cricket fans Channels: Socials, website
“YOUR CLUB NEEDS YOU”
Call for nostalgic memories from all fans. Survey-led, to gather insights to inform our future comms and experiences Audience: All club followers Channels: Website. Socials, email to members Results to date 43 survey forms completed
KIDS ZONE ON WEBSITE: DEWI’S DEN
A dedicated section of the website for kids activities and games - ‘Glammy Games’. Links to cricket bodies running specific programmes for kids at this time e.g. Chance to Shine, All Stars (fitness, cricket skills etc) Audience: Parents/kids Channels: Website, socials, email to members Results to date 850 Unique page views 3.14 Average time on page click HERE
Sophia Gardens
The Club has offered Sophia Gardens facilities to the Welsh Government for use during the crisis
“Run 5 Donate 5”
A number of GC staff and players have been involved raising money for the NHS under the campaign ‘Run For Heroes’
Local community
GC Club Sponsorship Executive, Oliver Waterhouse, has been helping a local farm shop who are delivering produce to those isolating, as well as helping the local farming community