Accessible Seating: How Cricket Clubs Can Make a Difference

Imagine arriving at a cricket club but having nowhere to sit to enjoy the game. Not because there are no seats, but they don’t cater for you.

In this look at accessible seating, John Fuller from Cricket Yorkshire looks at British Recycled Plastic seating and considers how cricket clubs can ensure everyone is made to feel welcome.

Accessible Spaces in Cricket and Beyond

Accessibility is how a cricket club thinks about its indoor and outdoor spaces carefully to accommodate all. That should include wheelchair users or those who might be unsteady on their feet. While we’ll look at this through the prism of accessible outdoor furniture, of course, it’s much broader than that. The ECB’s Creating Welcoming Environments Guide is a sound place to start.

Settle CC once told me that they’d noticed elderly spectators would arrive, look around for seating nearby and then leave. Investment in benches has increased capacity and allowed more to stay at the ground.

I also think about how awkward outdoor seating can be at cafes and pubs. Difficult to get your legs in, cramped and not really somewhere that’s practical or comfortable, even without disabilities and mobility considerations.

The good news is that there are alternatives out there, but first, let me take you to Undercliffe Cricket Club, high above Bradford.

📸 Ray Spencer

Wheelchair Picnic Tables at Undercliffe Cricket Club

Undercliffe Cricket Club bought a wheelchair A-frame picnic table (Bradshaw) as part of a bundle of five tables from British Recycled Plastic, a couple of years back.

The Bradshaw has a cut-out on one or both sides to enable front-facing access for one or two wheelchairs with room for foot paddles.

Robert Gomersall, Undercliffe’s Treasurer, told me:

“To be honest, the Bradshaw is a great product. It takes no maintaining and still looks good. We chose one bench with the disabled access feature and am glad to say it does get used which is brilliant, so well worth purchasing.”

Robert’s point about use is an important one. Even if it’s only occasionally, you can’t use something that isn’t there.

At Undercliffe, they’ve also upgraded the front entrance for disabled and wheelchair access so those visitors can enter the cricket club the same way as everyone else.

To understand how furniture choices can exclude visitors, I recommend this interview with Krishna. His honesty about life in a wheelchair after a spinal injury and the impact of good design is powerful.

Furniture shouldn’t require removing foot paddles of a wheelchair to fit under a low table or sitting and twisting at the end of a table at 45 degrees or even slightly apart from others.

Krishna said,

“When a piece of public furniture allows me to use it without any concessions on my part, it really helps. Not that I exactly notice. Oddly, I’m not conspicuously grateful, I’m just not forced to sacrifice my comfort or my dignity to fit in.”

Accessible Products by British Recycled Plastic

Here is a selection of products and the thinking behind certain designs. (See the full list of accessible outdoor furniture.)

The Brimham picnic table (pictured above) can be adapted for one or two wheelchair spaces. Its ‘walkthrough’ configuration is helpful too for those who can’t easily lift their leg over the seat to get in.

The Calder is a robust, round table that can be ordered with extra space between seats to accommodate a wheelchair. There is the option of backrests on seats to offer something to grab while moving around too.

As well as those in wheelchairs, give thought to visitors who may need assistance when sitting down or getting up. The Loxley has a backrest and multiple arms (in the centre and each end) with additional height to facilitate movement.

Accessibility can also be literal as a term: Can a wheelchair user move from their car to your cricket club interior? These ground reinforcement grids offer better access routes with stability for cars and pedestrians where the ground is slippery, wet or uneven.

Cricket grounds can be tricky to access or move around on foot at the best of times. However you approach the layout of your facilities, there are solutions that will create impact.

Practical and Environmental Credentials

All of the products mentioned are made from recycled plastic here in the UK, so the equivalent weight has been saved from landfill. The pieces are weather-resistant, easy to clean, won’t rot or split and can’t be damaged or vandalised.

On many products, there is a 25-year guarantee and free shipping to mainland UK (excludes Highlands, Islands, and Northern Ireland).

Cricket for Everyone, Made Easy

Cricket clubs and their volunteers are understandably conscious of where to invest their time and money. But to take you back to my opening scenario – imagine being excluded or marginalised from cricket through no fault of your own.

Being inclusive can be interpreted and actioned in many ways. Providing seating for everyone, regardless of their circumstances, to savour the game we all love is an excellent place to start.

Want to find out more about our accessible seating?

Since 2008, British Recycled Plastic has been helping organisations make smart and practical use of UK waste. If you resonate with John’s post or want to understand more about how you can make your facility accessible, contact us at 01422 419 555 with any questions.