The Yorkshire County Cricket Club will undertake a rigorous audit with the National Centre for Diversity to improve equality, diversity and inclusion practices at Emerald Headingley.
Operating in the UK and Ireland, the National Centre for Diversity (NCFD) works with 600 partners from companies and organisations of all sizes and sectors to help improve EDI practices and transform workplace cultures.
It accredits and awards companies with Investors in Diversity, Leaders in Diversity and Masters in Diversity based on a neuroscience approach. which explains human behaviour in relation to FREDIE: Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement.
The IID programme is an eye opener on how the organisation lives and breathes EDI and it’s not just pulled off the shelf every six months. It also ties into an organisations journey and provides a roadmap.
Yorkshire will be assigned its own dedicated NCFD advisor and a Personal Relationship Manager who will undertake a cultural audit to establish where the organisation is right now in terms of equality, diversity and inclusion, and where it wants to be.
Once the results of the cultural audit are shared, the advisor will report the key findings and help to build a bespoke action plan for the organisation. The NCFD will then re-audit Yorkshire to evidence what it has achieve and benchmark its result against the Investor in Diversity framework.
Mo Hussain, The Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager said: “The partnership with NCFD is another significant step within an ongoing journey with regards to equality diversity and inclusion, this is one of a number of active initiatives that YCCC through its EDI committee has committed to.
“We believe that the collaborative approach and new partnership with NCFD is a timely one, and will enable us to build on the momentum that has been gained. I am looking forward to working with NCFD.”
Solat Chaudhry, CEO National Centre for Diversity said: “We understand that Yorkshire County Cricket Club has had a difficult 12 months. But there is a real determination to try and improve inclusion within the Club.
“The challenge is clear, to help YCCC improve though an intensive, rigorous, and external independent verification process. Now is the time to close the gaps, scrutinise and be a much needed critical friend.
“THE NCFD Investors in Diversity award is a recognised national equality standard, that will provide the Club with a bespoke approach for improving Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement (FREDIE) practices.
“So far we have seen a real determination from the senior leadership to work collaboratively to achieve the first step to Investors in Diversity, critical to formulating a bright new inclusive culture.
“A culture inclusive of everyone and exclusive of no one whatever their background.”
