Middlesex Cricket and Middlesex in the Community were delighted to be the first County Cricket club in the UK to host an ‘Antisemitism in Cricket’ workshop, delivered by Ben Sweiry from Maccabi GB, in partnership with the Government’s Advisor on Antisemitism, Lord Mann.
The aims of the workshop were to increase awareness around antisemitism within the sport, improve participants’ understanding of the British Jewish community, and ultimately to share idea on how to make cricket a more inclusive space for the Jewish community.
The Tackling Antisemitism in Sport project, founded in September 2023, is a partnership between Maccabi GB, the UK’s largest Anglo-Jewish sports charity, and the Office of Lord Mann. Following on from their success in the football world, having seen representatives across all 20 Premier League clubs, as well as a further 59 EFL clubs and 45 County Football Associations, the project has aims to expand into cricket and other areas of British sport.
Jack Davis, Club’s Lead for Middlesex in the Community, said:
"We are grateful to have had Ben come in and deliver training for our staff on such an important topic. Our commitment to making cricket inclusive for all is crucial to us as an organisation and all our staff came away from the workshop not only with better understanding of the Jewish community but with practical solutions to improve the game for its Jewish fans, staff and players.”
Ben Sweiry, Project Manager of Maccabi GB’s Tackling Antisemitism in Sport programme, added:
“A big thank you to Middlesex and to Jack for setting this up. The club has taken a big step in becoming the trailblazers for the sport, being the first to enrol in this important educational training. We appreciate the club’s commitment to making the game an inclusive space for all and their eagerness to host the workshop is emblematic of this.”
Lord Mann, HM Government’s Independent Adviser on Antisemitism said :
“Middlesex County Cricket Club are the first in cricket to formally to host a ‘Tackling Antisemitism in Sports’ workshop. I commend them and their staff for setting a high standard and for taking the right steps to ensure that its club is a safe and welcoming place for all.”
