Open letter to Lancashire Members - following recent Members' Forum
Board Member Chris Peacock, who is responsible for Member Services and Communications, has penned an open letter to the Club's Members, following on from the recent Members' Forum hosted at Emirates Old Trafford.
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Dear Member,
Following on from my open letter which was published last month, and the latest Members’ Forum that took place recently, I wanted to provide the Membership with an update on the topics that were covered and discussed during the evening.
It was the first forum of the season and I felt like it was a huge success overall. It was great to see around 100 Members join us in The Edge restaurant located in the recently opened New Development – a setting that I thought worked really well. The Members that I spoke to enjoyed having a more informal set up to what we’ve seen at previous Forums, and the Club has taken feedback onboard from those Members who asked if a few players could be present at future Forums where possible.
I thought Mark Chilton delivered an incredibly useful, passionate and authentic cricket update, covering a number of different areas. It has clearly been a very busy period, both on and off the field, during the last few months and I thought Mark was very honest and explained - in detail - some of the decisions that have been made by the Club.
Mark’s update – as well as the Q&A session shortly after - was hugely well received and appreciated by the Members that I spoke to after the forum, which was great to hear. Whilst there will always be a difference of opinions between everyone, as a Club, it is important that we are open and transparent with our Members and supporters - and I thought that’s exactly what we did.
I was really pleased to see how the new, informal format worked. After the updates from Mark, Daniel Gidney, Lee Morgan and Chris Bent, we split up into small groups and discussed the format of Members' Forums moving forward. Each group included an official from the Club, a member of the board or a member of the MRG and gave Members an opportunity to ask questions. During those discussions, there were several issues raised by Members. Some of the more common questions are below, accompanied by an update from the Club.
I’d like to thank all those Members that have been in touch with me following on from my first open letter a couple of weeks ago and it's very clear to see the passion that you have for Lancashire Cricket. Whilst I am not going to be able to solve every issue raised by every Member, there are clearly several common themes from the emails I’ve received, and I’ll be looking to work with the Club on these moving forward. I will absolutely ensure Members are represented at the highest level at Lancashire Cricket.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Colin Gore, Chris Bent and the whole of the MRG for their continued support. The MRG were out in full force during the recent forum, which was hugely appreciated by myself and the Club. They do a huge amount of work behind the scenes and if you would like to speak with them about any ideas, questions or thoughts you have, please drop them an email at MRGLancsCC@gmail.com.
Finally – a further Members’ Forum has been confirmed for Wednesday 20 September, during Lancashire’s final home game of the 2023 campaign against Nottinghamshire at Emirates Old Trafford. As always, we would encourage as many Members as possible to attend.
I look forward to seeing you at Emirates Old Trafford soon.
Chris Peacock
Non-Executive Director, Lancashire Cricket
Common themes / questions from the Members' Forum
Club’s response to the ICEC report:
The ECB are currently looking at their response to the report and the 44 recommendations that the report has made. As far as Lancashire Cricket is concerned, we have our own EDI action plan that can be found here. A lot of good work has been done in this area and we are pleased to announce that a new position - Head of Diversity and Inclusion – has recently started at the Club and this role will be an important part of further activating our EDI strategy.
Members having issues using the Ticketing App:
This is also another issue that is cropping up regularly from Members, so we have arranged an IT / Ticketing surgery on Monday 11 September during Lancashire’s County Championship game against Middlesex, so we can help Members with any issues.
The session will be located in the Library Suite in the Pavilion between 12:30 – 1:30pm and our Ticket Office team will be on hand to provide a helping hand to anyone that is struggling.
Stand availability during the Northants game:
Both the MRG and I have received a number of emails about this issue during the Northants game. After raising it with the Club, we understand that there were a number of factors which led to only the Pavilion Terrace and A Stand being opened, including de-rigging following the Ashes Test and the desire to showcase the opening of the new development and The Edge restaurant which many of you enjoyed for the first time.
I have been encouraged at how the Club has been receptive to the comments of Members and the positive approach that has been taken to act. I’m pleased to let Members know that following your comments, the Club will ensure that moving forward there will be at least part of Stands A or E open, with raised viewing in either Upper B or C dependant on the wicket, to ensure a positive experience for our Members and supporters.
The Hundred included in this year’s Membership:
The Hundred was included in Lancashire Cricket Memberships this year for the first time. This was included as an additional benefit which we know some Members will enjoy, and others perhaps won’t. To also confirm, the inclusion of the Hundred as part of the Membership didn’t impact the price.
Sedbergh Transport:
The Club provided a coach from Emirates Old Trafford to Sedbergh School, and also organised a shuttle service between Sedbergh School and the nearest train station at Oxenholme. The MRG supported the shuttles from Oxenholme station and made sure everyone returned safely at the end of the day, to ensure an enjoyable visit.
Heritage and Museum:
This was another key theme that came out of the discussions from the Forum and that Members want to be kept up to date with all the latest developments. The Club will consult with Members as the project – as part of the New Development – continues. Further communication on this will be sent to Members in due course and I look forward to as many Members as possible participating in this.
MRG progress update:
Members of the MRG will give an update on some of the work that they have been carrying out at the next Members’ Coffee Morning, which will take place on Friday 24 November.