ECB Announces $700,000 Drive To Encourage Women, Minorities

The England & Wales Cricket Board has announced a £450,000 ($700,000) initiative "to promote diversity within the game," according to the BBC. The scheme, funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, "hopes to encourage more women, girls, and black and ethnic minority participants and to improve access for disabled people." It "aims to recruit 450 new coaches from black and ethnic minority communities." It "will also provide 175 coaches and mentors to improve the experience for women and girls playing cricket." Other targets include:

• Offering 2,000 members of the South Asian community "the opportunity to play indoor cricket"
• Creating opportunities for 7,500 women and girls "to play cricket across 1,000 cricket clubs nationwide"
• Training 700 people "in understanding the values" and behaviors of women and girls in sport
• Conducting accessibility audits "for disabled access at 16 of the 18 first-class county grounds" (BBC, 7/20).