A WELCOMING CLUB FOR ALL 2022–23

MCC’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Plan was published in January 2022. It set out our commitment to ensure that everyone is warmly welcomed by the Club and at Lord’s Cricket Ground through kindness and respect, whether they are a member of staff, MCC Member, player, spectator or any other visitor.

My initial focus on this subject was driven by the overwhelming global response to the Black Lives Matter movement in June 2020 and my need to gain a deeper understanding of what this meant for MCC in general and the impact on our Members and staff in particular. Over a year later, evidence made before a DCMS Select Committee laid bare that issues of discrimation of all types are, sadly, prevalent within cricket.

Our national summer sport should be a vehicle for bringing people together and not dividing them. It is, by its very ‘spirit’, a game that encourages friendship and teamwork, unifying a global fanbase that spans different nationalities, genders, cultures and religions. At MCC we are committed to delivering lasting change, both through our own actions and by supporting positive initiatives across the game.

The adoption of a formal EDI plan has been a step change for us as an organisation. We plotted a course for us to follow, setting ourselves ambitious targets across a comprehensive range of subjects. This year’s document outlines our progress one year on and looks ahead to detailed actions for 2023.

The MCC Committee, executive and all the MCC staff are fully committed to achieving these goals. We know that doing so will ensure that the Club is an organisation that actively welcomes all manner of lifestyles and perspectives, better representing its cricket fanbase and retaining its relevance for future generations. I am proud of the significant progress we have made so far but our focus remains firmly on future challenges. There is always more we can do.

GUY LAVENDER Chief Executive Officer | Marylebone Cricket Club

EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ACTIONS

MCC is comitted to ensuring that cricket is a game for all, and that Lord’s is a ground where everyone feels welcome. These are the guiding principles which inform our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Plan, which was produced following publication of our first Environmental, Social and Governance report, Building A Sustainable Future, in November 2021.

1

MCC resolved in 2020 that its Sustainability Strategy should be aligned to the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development and follow the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) until 2030. These goals incorporate the activities of an organisation in areas of community and social work, gender equality, work on anti-discrimination, and peace and justice.

Of the 17 SDGs, MCC has prioritised three goals, specifically in relation to EDI, with which the Club can best align and deliver impactful change across its business.

2

INSIGHT

TO LISTEN TO AND LEARN FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND THE WIDER CRICKETING COMMUNITY TO ENSURE MCC AND LORD’S ARE WELCOMING TO A BROAD RANGE OF AUDIENCES

EDUCATION

TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE AND HELP OUR AUDIENCES TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO PLAY THEIR PART IN ENSURING MCC IS A CLUB BUILT ON FAIRNESS AND RESPECT

3

COMMUNICATION

TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY TO ALL AUDIENCES, EXPLAINING OUR PLANS AND REPORTING PROGRESS

4

PATHWAY

TO ENABLE MORE PLAYERS, MEMBERS AND STAFF FROM A VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS TO BE PART OF MCC

ENVIRONMENT 5

TO MAKE THE ENVIRONMENT AT LORD’S WELCOMING TO ALL AUDIENCES

ACCOUNTABILITY 6

TO HAVE EFFECTIVE MEASURES AND PROCESSES IN PLACE FOR INCIDENT REPORTING, INVESTIGATION AND ACTION

Insight

• Largest Membership survey in a generation

• EDI related questions included in all post-match surveys

• 91% of spectators were ‘Very Likely’ or ‘Likely’ to return to Lord’s

• Scored 8.6 (out of 10) for 'Warmth of welcome’ in 2022

• Incident Reporting System in place for all match days at Lord’s