Sussex Cricket hosts first ever Brighton & Hove Pride-endorsed cricket match

Sussex Cricket held a One Day Cup fixture against Leicestershire at The 1st Central County Ground on August 4 in aid of the Brighton Rainbow Fund. It was the club’s first ever Pride Match and the first ever cricket event officially endorsed by Brighton & Hove Pride.

The Pride Match represented the culmination of years of work on the ground in the local community to ensure that The 1st Central County Ground is a welcoming environment for all.

As well as running several programmes and initiatives over the past four years, the Club and the Sussex Cricket Foundation have been working closely with a number of LBGTQ+ organisations such as; Out4Cricket, Older and Out, Switchboard, and the Brighton & Hove Council LGBTQ+ Steering Group – not only to gain insight, advice and recommendations, but also to listen to members of the community about the potential barriers they face in regard to coming to Hove to watch cricket.

The Club has also established its own LGBTQ+ Steering Group, to ensure voices in the community are heard by representatives from across Sussex Cricket and also hosts monthly LGBTQ+ Coffee and Cake mornings at the ground, free of charge.

More recently, the first ever LGBTQ+ Sussex Supporters Club was formed, run by a passionate local Sussex supporter with the aim of uniting other members of the community in their support for the Club.

At the Pride match, the Sussex Sharks wore a one-off limited-edition match shirt, with a rainbow themed badge and numbers. The players also warmed up in a limited-edition training shirt.

Fans and spectators were entertained and had the chance to engage with a number of Pride themed activations around the ground, throughout the day.

Paul Kemp, Director of Brighton & Hove Pride, added: “We are thrilled to be able to work alongside Sussex Cricket for their inaugural Pride Match against Leicestershire on Sunday 4th August.

“With fundraising at its heart, Brighton & Hove Pride is widely acknowledged as one of the best Pride events across the world, so to be partnering with the oldest professional sport’s club in the world is a powerful statement.

“We hope that this event, along with all of the other fantastic work both organisations are doing across the County, will help to create even more opportunities for our community to get involved with cricket in Brighton & Hove whilst also fundraising for our essential local LGBTQ+ charities and community groups.”

The game was an opportunity to not only raise funds for the Brighton Rainbow Fund, but also the Sussex Cricket Foundation, with all profits from the game being split equally between both organisations.

All funds raised will go towards future initiatives and programmes designed to increase representation of the LGBTQ+ community within the game at all levels, such as supporting the launch of the County’s first ever LGBTQ+ focused cricket club in 2025.

Sussex Cricket is wholeheartedly committed to making the game of cricket accessible to all, and the Pride Match represents an opportunity for everyone involved at the Club to come together to celebrate Pride at The 1st Central County Ground.

Gary Wallis-Tayler, Community Director for the Sussex Cricket Foundation said: “The Club and the Foundation have been working tremendously hard in recent years to listen and engage with local stakeholders from the LGBTQ+ community to break down the potential barriers that prevent them from getting involved with the game of cricket.

“Cricket is a game for everyone and our first ever Pride Match is the perfect platform to not only celebrate Pride, but to also demonstrate that The 1st Central County Ground is a safe and inclusive venue for all.”

Jayne Pritchard, Trustee for the Brighton Rainbow Fund, added: “What a brilliant event, which will benefit so many within our community.

“We are so grateful for this very public and generous showing of support for the diverse LGBTQ+ people in Brighton & Hove.

“We look forward to building a brilliant relationship with the Club.”

To find out more about the Sussex Cricket Foundation please visit: https://sussexcricket.co.uk/sussex-cricket-foundation