The Gordon Rigg Bradford Premier League, along with their neighbours the Airedale & Wharfedale Senior Cricket League and the Quaid e Azam Premier Cricket League, signed the Yorkshire and Humber Anti-Racism in Sports Group pledge at Headingley earlier this week.
The group, which Yorkshire County Cricket Club are a part of, aims to stand with community sports organisations in a commitment to being anti-racist.
The group, launched last year, is made up of people from Active Humber, Bradford Council, North Yorkshire Sport, Rotherham United Community Sports Trust, Sheffield City Council, Street Games and Yorkshire Sport Foundation.
Now the Yorkshire Cricket Board (YCB) – which oversees the recreational game and supports more than 800 grassroots clubs and schools playing the game every week in summer, and more than 125,000 recreational players – is calling for all grassroots cricket clubs across the region to sign the pledge.
Paul Cummins, director of recreational cricket for YCB, said: “A key part of YCB’s role is to lead, unite and inspire the recreational game across Yorkshire.
“We encourage all our partners and stakeholders - leagues, cricket clubs and community organisations to sign the pledge.
“Together, we, the recreational game in Yorkshire, stand united in the fight against racism, and we are proud to support the positive message that the Yorkshire and Humber Anti-Racism in Sports Group stands for.
“We are uniting as organisations to combat racial discrimination in grass roots sports and in society.”
Last year the Yorkshire and Humber Anti-Racism in Sport Group launched the pledge, which has so far been signed by more than 100 organisations, including Yorkshire CCC and the three aforementioned leagues.
Basharat Hussain, executive chair for the Quaid e Azam Premier Cricket League, signed on behalf of the 38 teams in the league.
Jane Pratt, president of the Airedale & Wharfedale Senior Cricket League, signed on behalf of the 36 clubs represented in her organisation.
Finally, Alan Birkinshaw, the chief executive for the Bradford Premier League, signed on behalf of the 48 clubs and 96 teams which make up that organisation.
In signing the pledge, organisations commit to actively tackle attitudes and racial inequalities that prevent or discourage people from leading active lives and enjoying the benefits of sport and physical activity.
Each organization that has signed the pledge will have its own plan to:
- Be open and responsible organisations that recognise the changes needed to become anti-racist organisations.
- Lead by example as anti-racist allies.
- Use and share knowledge to create change locally.
- Enable communities to take part without fear of discrimination.
- Develop the workforce to become diverse and representative of the communities they are working in.
- Deliver inclusively so that everyone has the opportunity to be active.
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