Welcome from Kate Miller
Congratulations on getting through January! I hope your New Year’s Resolutions are still going strong and you’re into the swing of 2024.
February brings some notable dates in the EDI calendar including LGBTQ+ History Month. There’s lots going on across the game to celebrate which we look forward to highlighting in next month’s edition, including the Game Live hosted by the LGBTQ+ Community in Cricket Employee Network.
Earlier this month, we celebrated World Hijab Day with Abtaha Maqsood who returned to CBeebies to read a Bedtime Story after her debut last year. Abtaha is a wonderful role model and an example of why embracing your authentic self on and off the pitch is so important.
The Year of the Dragon commenced this month for those who observe the lunar calendar. Wishing a happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrated on 10 February. In Christianity, Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday lead us into the reflective period of Lent. With Ramadan also less than a month away, best wishes to all those in both the Christian and Islamic faiths preparing to embark on a journey of sacrifice. There are resources available on the Raising The Game webpage to help enable cricket to provide an inclusive and accessible environment during the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Best wishes, Kate Miller Chief Communications Officer |
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World Hijab Day Abtaha Maqsood, the Scotland cricketer who co-designed the custom hijabs for Birmingham Phoenix, read her CBeebies Bedtime Story from Trent Bridge to mark World Hijab Day. Her reading of the book ‘Under My Hijab’ (by Hena Khan and illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel) is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Abtaha also did multiple interviews with faith-based and regional radio stations about her personal journey and how wearing a hijab while playing cricket is not just about expressing her religious identity but is “also a symbol of inclusion and empowerment for girls in sports”. International Women’s Day With International Women’s Day approaching on 8 March, we
wanted to remind you about We Got Game – the community that celebrates
individuality across the game. Ranging from a growing grassroots community
right up to our professional teams, We Got Game is bigging up and supporting
women and girls everywhere who represent the future of the game we all love.
Remember to follow them on Instagram @WeGotGameOfficial – over the course of
March there will be content dedicated to the history of women in cricket.
As part of a week of events for International
Women’s Day, the Women in Cricket Employee Network will also be hosting
a virtual event with a Q&A panel talking about this year’s UN
International Women’s Day Theme “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress” on Tuesday
5th March at 9.30am–10.15am. To
register interest for the event, please email WomeninCricket@ecb.co.uk.
We’d love to see any content or photos of your clubs and
organisations celebrating International Women’s Day. Please do send them to raisingthegame@ecb.co.uk for
inclusion in next month’s newsletter.
Women of the Future The ECB is proud to partner with Women of the Future, an organisation that connects women across all industries globally and runs several awards and programmes celebrating inspirational leadership and achievements. We encourage you to nominate anyone you think is deserving of the following initiatives:
1. Kindness & Leadership, 50 Leading Lights UK & Asia Pacific
2. Asian Women of Achievement Awards
3. Women of the Future: 50 Rising Stars in ESG
Please do let us know about any initiatives you plan to run this month. If we can support your efforts, we’d love to get involved!
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The Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s Girls’ Pathway continues to go from strength to strength with a record number of girls participating. The 2023/24 winter has seen 446 girls attend – a 140% increase on attendance from the 2021/22 winter, with 106 players going on to represent Yorkshire at County Age Group level in 2024.
Did you play for a Caribbean cricket club in the UK between 1950 and the present day? Do you know a family member or friend who did? The Caribbean Cricket Archive is looking for present or former players, members or associates of Caribbean cricket clubs from across the UK to participate in creating a community archive. They aim to bring cricket club members together to recount and celebrate the history and importance of these clubs. Please contact the UCL research team at info@thisisblackbritain.co.uk for more information or to get involved.
Academics from Canterbury Christ Church University carried out an independent evaluation of Chance to Shine in 300 primary schools where 40-80% of pupils are eligible for Free School Meals. Amongst other interesting findings, they found that children had a very positive experience with Chance to Shine – they noted how much fun they had and, importantly, how included they felt.
Kent Cricket recently undertook disability access training delivered by Level Playing Field and now proudly have five Disability Access Officers covering ticketing, grounds, events, pathway and community cricket. Shiv, one of the newly-qualified DAOs said: "We look forward to working with local charities to break down barriers that prevent disabled people from attending live events and to making our ground an accessible venue for all…we can heartily recommend having a conversation with Level Playing Field.”
The Sussex Cricket Foundation has extended its partnership with Ned’s Fund for a further two years. The two organisations initially teamed up back in March 2023 to provide financial support to Diyon De Silva, a young promising local cricketer who has excelled in the Sussex Cricket Pathway.
The annual Disability Competitions Conference recently took place at Edgbaston. Attended by around 50 people from across the UK, the group reviewed the 2023 season and looked ahead to the 2024 schedule. The group was also joined by Dr Jane Powell who gave some amazing performance insights as well as Hannah Hughes who gave a presentation around Autism awareness.
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Download our full 2024 EDI Calendar, giving you all the dates of key events throughout the next 12 months. March: International Wheelchair Day (01); World Hearing Day (03); International Women’s Day (08); Ramadan (11/3-9/4); Disabled Access Day (16); World Down Syndrome Day (21); Purim (23-24); Holi (25); Good Friday (29); Easter Sunday (31); International Transgender Day of Visibility (31) LGBTQ+ Game Live Wednesday 21 February | 12:00pm – 12:45pm To celebrate LGBT+ History Month, the LGBTQ+ Community in Cricket Employee Network is hosting a virtual session for the whole game. Through a facilitated discussion with current and former professional cricketers, and players from the recreational game, we’ll look at how being part of the LGBTQ+ community in cricket has changed over the years and what progress is still required. The event will be streamed live on LinkedIn and YouTube. Click here to sign up to attend and to add the event to your diary. Antisemitism Workshop Tuesday 5 March | 7:30pm – 8:30pm Thanks to those who engaged with our thought-provoking sessions on antisemitism throughout January and February. Unfortunately, we were not able to go ahead with our final session as intended on the 8 February. Apologies to anyone who had planned to join that evening session. We are keen to provide another opportunity for an evening session and have scheduled this on 5 March at 7:30pm – 8:30pm. Please share and register here.
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Updates from our Employee Networks |
Beyond the boundary: EDI progress from outside cricket |
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The Guinness Six Nations 2024 Championship “will be the most inclusive yet” with improvements to the at-home and in-stadium viewing experience for those with physical and less apparent disabilities. This includes upweighting sensory rooms and fan resources across stadiums, including fidget spinners, ear plugs and stress balls – to help those with invisible disabilities such as Autism, ADHD and Tourettes feel less overwhelmed on game day.
Dove’s Super Bowl advert “Hard Knocks” sheds light on the body insecurities young girls often deal with. According to the brand, 45% of girls are quitting sports – and low body confidence is the number one reason why. Dove teamed up with Nike to create the Body Confident Sport programme – a free, evidence-based tool designed to help sports coaches support girls on their teams, build their body confidence and keep them in the game.
West Ham United fan and broadcaster Rylan Clark is marking LGBTQ+ History Month with a new documentary – Rylan: Homophobia, Football and Me. The documentary, which examines homosexuality within the game, will premiere on TNT Sports and be available to stream on discovery+ from Tuesday 13 February. |
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