Case Study: Leicestershire County Cricket Club

In 2022, Leicestershire became the first County Cricket side in England to appoint an EDI Director, and since the publication of their 2022 EDI Report have embarked on an aggressive and inspiring campaign to bring the Club’s diverse and disparate communities together.

“Societal shift means that more people are reflecting, educating, and playing their part to address discrimination,” said Namita Patel, EDI Director. “Cricket has a unique ability to connect communities, improve lives and eradicate social barriers. Everything that Leicestershire CCC are working towards…allows us to make great strides towards enhancing and extending the reputation, reach and profile of the game of cricket.”¹

The Report identified several key areas for immediate consideration, among them being improvements to Uptonsteel County Ground:

1. With an increased number of accessible Super 1s sessions being held Ground, a need was determined for better facilities for disabled people with the most complex needs
2. Leicester is one of the most multicultural cities in the country – in order to reflect this diversity, a need for a multi-faith space was determined to ensure all visitors, players and staff can engage with their religion in safety and comfort

A Winning Partnership

Leicester CCC commissioned RISE to undertake both of these important installations. Working in partnership with the Stadium Management team at Grace Road, our onboarding team quickly determined the right product mix for the client; in this case, a CP+1 modular Changing Places plus accessible toilet and, as none of our prefabricated products were large enough, a bespoke, traditionally constructed multi-faith space.

Once site surveys were completed and appropriate locations determined, we got to work on the fabrication of the CP+1 modular pod. Our team stayed in close contact with the Club throughout this process, meaning the client had complete control over the look and feel of their new CPT. From exterior finish, to interior design, to equipment layout – even down to where the door would be placed, Leicestershire were able to pick every element to their exact specifications.

In this circumstance, the Club took the decision to handle their own groundworks. Though RISE specialises in a turnkey solution, taking care of everything from drafting and planning through to groundworks, installation, and registration, we were more than happy to flex our usual way of working to accommodate the client’s wishes.

A key aspect of the work we were undertaking was that disruption to the normal running of the Ground should be kept to a minimum; work on site began in May, coinciding with the start of the 4-Day Test season, so our teams would need to work cleanly and efficiently to ensure spectators were not impacted by ongoing construction.