Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation welcomes the report from the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC).
Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation Chief Executive, Steve Silk said:
“We fully support the work the Commission has undertaken to investigate racial inequalities, discrimination and elitism within the game of cricket. We understand and accept that people have had upsetting experiences. We are deeply saddened that people have felt unwelcome in cricket and we apologise to anyone who has felt excluded.
At the Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation, we are taking action to ensure that everyone is part of our game and have implemented our pioneering anti-discrimination GRACE campaign and have an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan in place.
We are determined that Gloucestershire grassroots cricket is a game for everyone – whatever your race, gender, sexuality or class. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are now at the heart of everything we do at the Foundation.’’
In March 2022, the Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation launched its GRACE campaign and it is central to the 2023 season. Silk said:
“Our anti-discrimination GRACE campaign sets out five clear principles to promote equity in our game and includes the strong statement that ‘Discrimination has no place in cricket.”
GCF is also working with Bristol’s Commission on Racial Equality (CoRE) which is promoting collaborative solutions and cooperation. Silk said:
“With our GRACE plan, programmes like ACE, (the African Caribbean Engagement programme staged locally by the Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation and supported by Gloucestershire County Cricket Club), our community programmes, and EDI training and action plans for our staff, we are striving for greater equity in our game.”
Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation Chair, Andy Shield said:
“We are working with all our players, clubs and leagues, sharing our GRACE campaign, and offering training and education. We recognise we still have more to learn and we are committed to working harder to achieve more. Our goal is to ensure that cricket in Gloucestershire is a welcoming and inclusive experience for everyone.”