Lancashire Cricket Foundation Hosts EDI Event at Emirates Old Trafford
As part of the Lancashire Cricket Foundations ongoing commitment to making recreational cricket across the county inclusive, diverse and safe, an inspiring in-person event was held on Monday 6th October in the Members Lounge at Emirates Old Trafford.
Organised by Adele Williams (County Safeguarding Lead) and Michael Haydock (Anti-Discrimination Lead), the evening brought together dedicated volunteers from across Lancashire’s cricket network to focus on three crucial themes: Safeguarding, Anti-Discrimination, and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI). Attendees were privileged to hear from two expert guest speakers who shared invaluable insights drawn from both professional experience and personal reflection.
Tony Fretwell - Inclusion Officer for Talent and Pathways within the ECB, spoke to our audience about equitable provision of cricket for all, and how cricket should be accessible to all regardless of background. He further spoke about talented young cricketers and how we can maximise potential whilst also offering fair and inclusive pathways into the professional game.
Tony then finished with an incredibly engaging section which opened up some real-life personal experiences regarding Neurodiversity in sport, the barriers, the advantages, the misconceptions and the truth behind it all, leaving attendees with a renewed sense of responsibility and practical knowledge to help protect players and participants at every level of the game.
Ray Galloway - Former Police Detective and Investigator into high-profile safeguarding cases. Ray opened the eyes of everyone in the room to the risks that can be posed in cricket and in life generally. He provided an in-depth first hand knowledge of how perpetrators of abuse build trust, strong reputations and a platform which allows them to offend.
Ray was able to use real cases within a cricketing context to further emphasise the need for effective safeguarding in our sport. For 90 minutes, Ray captivated our diverse audience and gave each and every one of them something positive to take away.
The event was attended not only by volunteers but also by staff from the Lancashire Cricket Foundation, representing a wide range of the organisation’s community programmes. The insights gained will undoubtedly strengthen the Foundation’s ongoing work in creating a cricketing environment where everyone feels welcome, valued, and safe.
A big thank you to all that attended, and to our guest speakers, it was an incredible evening and as an organisation we will strive to develop the game of cricket in Lancashire for everyone.