The Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation has been awarded Gold Standard Governance under the England and Wales Cricket Board’s County Partnership Agreement. In doing so, we have become the first County to gain this standard.
Gold Accreditation was given to the GCF after completing the ECB’s new Gold Accreditation Scheme, an independent programme run by ITrustSport.
“Achieving Gold standard governance is a significant achievement for any county,” said Ed Ringe, Head of Governance at the ECB. “Our congratulations go to Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation for their hard work and diligence in meeting this standard. We look forward to seeing many more county organisations being able to showcase their governance credentials in the coming months and years ahead.”
The County Governance framework was put in place to increase standards and ensure best practices for recreational cricket boards. The CPA is broken down into three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. With Gold being the highest achievable level.
Steve Silk, CEO of Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation, said, “We’re extremely proud to be the first Recreational Cricket Board/Foundation to achieve the ECB Gold Accreditation for Governance. It’s a wonderful recognition of the time, care, hard work, and commitment that has gone into strengthening our governance practices over recent years.
Everyone involved in the Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation should be really proud as this award demonstrates our dedication to operating to the highest standards and ensuring we continue to serve our cricketing community with integrity, transparency, and excellence.”
Seven principles define the County Governance Framework:
- Robust and Effective Structures
- Responsible Leadership
- Effective and Inclusive Boards
- Good Practices and Behaviours
- Transparency, Accountability, and Engagement
- Risk, Assurance, and Stewardship
- Legal and Regulatory Compliance
To achieve the different tiers, there are requirements and focus areas for County Boards/Foundations to implement.
Nigel Hill, Governance Lead at Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation said: “This award is a brilliant tribute to many years of hard work and skill by our executive team; it was not a box-ticking exercise, but a thorough review of processes and attitudes put in place over a long period.
We have a team who take very seriously their responsibilities for good governance of our precious resources, really care about delivering the best cricket can offer to our whole community, and who want to continue being pioneers for ever higher standards. We’re hugely proud of what we are doing, and are delighted with this recognition of everybody’s efforts.”
The GCF is delighted to be the first County board to have achieved this award, and it is our commitment to continue striving for improvement.
If you are interested in learning more about the County Governance Framework, it can be found here.
