Posted: 18 February 2025
Link to Apply: https://www.durhamcricket.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Head-of-Event-Safety-Job-Pack.pdf
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF DURHAM CRICKET
Durham County Cricket Club (DCCC) was established as an amateur Minor County in May 1882 and went onto become cricket’s most successful Minor County and the first to beat a FirstClass County when defeating Yorkshire in 1973. Durham was awarded first class professional status in December 1991 – the only new First-Class County in over 70 years – and played in the professional structure from 1992.
Since 2007 DCCC has had significant success winning the County Championship three times and being runners up once, and also won the Fifty Over Competition twice in Lord’sfinals and appeared twice in T20 Finals Day.
Since becoming a first-class county, DCCC has established English cricket’s most successful academy, regularly producing international stars for England, including Steve Harmison, Paul Collingwood, Mark Wood and Ben Stokes.
Durham CCC created the first new English Test Match stadium in over 100 years securing a long-term stadium naming rights sponsorship with Emirates Airways that ended in 2021. The venue has a 14,000 permanent seating capacity and the Club has staged international cricket every year since 1999, including the successful Ashes Test held in 2013 and three games in the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019. The Club has been awarded a further package of international matches to 2024.
A successful rebrand in 2018 created a new Durham Cricket identity. Durham Cricket is now the umbrella organisation encompassing all elements of cricket provision in the county covering the professional and recreational game and all activities impacting on the wider community of the county and beyond. Four separate organisations sit under the Durham Cricket umbrella and these are briefly described below.
Durham Cricket Community Interest Company (CIC) – Durham Cricket CIC operates the professional cricket side of the business.
Durham Cricket Board – the Durham Cricket Board is the recreational body in Durham responsible for all non-first class cricket related activities in the County. Primarily responsible for driving the growth in participation and ensuring the cricket clubs in the county are organised in a way to provide safe, welcoming environments to allow people to enjoy a lifelong involvement in cricket.
Durham Cricket Events – Durham Cricket Events runs the meetings and events, hospitality and catering operations at the Riverside.
Durham Cricket Foundation – the Foundation is the charitable arm of Durham Cricket and delivers initiatives aimed at providing opportunities and improving the lives of the local community.
VISION, PURPOSE AND VALUES OF DURHAM CRICKET
BUSINESS DIRECTION, VISION AND VALUES
Durham Cricket has an essential role as the strategic delivery arm of the ECB in north east England. Durham Cricket also has the opportunity to mark out a very distinctive position in the world of cricket through the development and communication of an inspiring common purpose and strong individual identity (the Durham Cricket brand).
Our vision aligns the organisation from Changing Room to Boardroom, bringing together cricketing and commercial goals and resonates with our community (customers).
An effective Durham Cricket brand demands focus, ambition and a consistent approach to everything we do. There is an expectation that all our people will follow the vision, live and breathe the values and adhere to a set of consistent of behaviours. These are all set out below.
VISION
The vision of Durham Cricket has two key elements. Firstly, there is an internal vision which is designed to guide how the staff go about delivering on the organisation’s values and objectives. Secondly there is an external vision which shows how Durham Cricket are going to deliver on its cricketing objectives and assist the ECB in meeting their strategies.
Internal Vision:
Durham Cricket will be recognised for having a winning culture both on and off the field achieved by highly engaged people who enjoy working together with pride and passion.
External Vision:
2 £2 million invested into recreational and community programmes
0 No debt
2 Winning two trophies
4 Producing four new England players
PURPOSE
UNLEASHING POTENTIAL THROUGH CRICKET IN THE NORTH
VALUES
PROUDLY NORTHERN
We stand for something. We are family. Genuine, welcoming with a resilient spirit and a sense of fun.
PASSIONATE ABOUT DURHAM
We care about our club, our business and our brand. The passion and emotion unites us and drives us forward to create opportunities for the north on a national and global stage.
PURSUING EXCELLENCE
We strive to be the best we can be. Continuously improving and pushing ourselves to set higher standards.
UNIQUELY CRICKET
Cricket is at our heart and heritage. It makes us unique and its principles guide everything we do.
BEHAVIOURS
The following are a series of behaviours that we expect all of our people to adhere to:
• We are ambitious in the goals we set
• We actively seek and encourage feedback in pursuit of excellence
• We focus on continuous improvement
• We are accountable for our actions
• We catch people doing things right
• We are adaptable and flexible
• We are equitable and inclusive in the way we operate
• We care for our staff and look out for them at all times
• We stay true to our vision
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Head of Event Safety
Department: Operations
Based at: The Riverside, Chester-le-Street.
Although may be required to work at other cricketing venues throughout the County.
Position reports to: Chief Operating Officer
Key working relationship: Head of Facilities
ECB Head of Safety and Security
Job Purpose: To assume overall control of operational safety management issues on an event day and on non-event days to be a principal adviser to the ground management on all spectator-related safety issues
To ensure all events at the Riverside are operated safely and in line with Club policy and procedures.
To liaise with all stakeholders involved in the safe operation of events at the ground and ensure there is a joined-up approach to safety.
To meet all requirements of the Club’s Safety Certificate in relation to events at the venue.
To network with other people involved in event safety within and outside of cricket and use the networking to review and refine operations at Emirates Riverside.
To be the key point of contact for the governing body, local authority and other event safety bodies on all matters relating to event safety at the venue.
Reports: Event Safety Officers, Matchday Security Officers and Stewards
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
1. To assume overall responsibility for event safety at the Riverside and to undertake all necessary tasks to achieve this.
2. Devise Operations Manual for the Club for all events covering necessary safety checks, guidance to Stewards, liaison with external parties and all other safety information. Ensure, in liaison with the Head of Facilities, that this dovetails with the Club’s Health and Safety Policy and Health and Safety Manual.
3. Fulfil the role of Event Safety Officer for all major events, ensuring that any measures for managing crowds prescribed in the Operations Manual are observed. Determine who will adopt the Safety Officer role at any other events at the ground.
4. Be the main representative of Durham Cricket at Safety Advisory Group and Medical Advisory Group meetings and be the lead on all safety and security matters.
5. Be the first point of contact for the local authority in relation to all event safety matters, including pre-event and event inspections and also the annual inspection. Take responsibility for all remedial actions coming from any of these inspections.
6. Be the point of contact for the England and Wales Cricket Board and liaise regularly with their Head of Safety and Security in relation to all aspects relating to safety and security at the venue.
7. Be the point of contact for the Sports Ground Safety Authority in relation to all their interactions with the Club including audits, SAG input and general guidance. Ensure all new guidance issued is obtained and acted upon. Take responsibility for all remedial actions coming from any of the SGSA inspections.
8. Produce detailed capacity calculations in accordance with the guidance set out in the current edition of the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds after conducting all the necessary event risk assessments. These calculations shall be reviewed at least once a year, after any structural changes made at the sports ground and/or after any incident that involves implementing emergency plans.
9. Identify the equipment, permanent staff, safety management personnel, stewards and others necessary to monitor, direct, guide, manage and assist spectators during specified events and activities.
10. In conjunction with the Head of Facilities, and on the basis of risk assessment, identify the inspections and testing ofstructures, equipment and systems necessary to ensure the reasonable safety of spectators including setting out the frequency of the inspection and testing
11. Produce and review contingency plans and ensure a robust programme of exercises are used so as to ensure the emergency procedures as set out in the “plan of action” operate correctly. Make all arrangementsforthe exercises and ensure representation from all necessary parties.
12. Organise the recruitment, training and management of all Matchday Stewards, including decisions around any third-party contract stewarding companiesto utilise at the venue. Ensure all stewards and security staff engaged at the venue are qualified to the required governing body standards.
13. In liaison with the Finance Director control the budget for stewarding and other associated event safety expenditure items for all events.
14. Liaise with all relevant external organisations regarding the safe operation of events. This will include police, medical, local authority and other emergency services.
15. Forge relationships with all those involved in event safety at the venue including the Club Medical Officer, the Head of Facilities and Lead Physiotherapist and Science and Medicine Lead.
16. Create a network of contacts within event safety to include safety practitioners from other sporting clubs in the region.
17.Maintain all necessary records and documentation related to the safe operation of events at the venue and report to the ECB, SGSA or local authority as appropriate.
18.To ensure all Safety and Security standards contained in the Club’s County Partnership Agreement (CPA) with ECB are met consistently.
19.Meet regularly with the Chief Operating Officer to keep them updated of any issues with event safety.
20.To ensure any concerns with the safe operation of events at the Riverside are raised with the Chief Executive who will work with the Head of Event Safety to find a suitable solution involving the Board if appropriate.
OTHER CONDITIONS
The post holder will be based at Seat Unique Riverside as part of the Operations department. Due to the nature of the work the post holder will carry out his/her duties as such times/days which are most effective to perform the tasks required. This will involve some out of hours work – evenings, weekends, Bank Holidays, as necessary.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN EMPLOYMENT POLICY STATEMENT
It is the policy of Durham Cricket to treat all employees and job applicants fairly and equally regardless of age, disability, gender, reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity,race,religion or belief,sex orsexual orientation. Furthermore, Durham Cricket will ensure that no requirement or condition will be imposed without justification which could disadvantage individuals purely on any of the above situations.
We recognize and value the difference and individual contribution that people make to the organisation. We strive to ensure that diversity as well as equality is embedded in all our policies, procedures and practices, responding to employees’ needs and encouraging employee development to increase their contribution to effective service delivery.
SAFER RECRUITMENT POLICY
Durham Cricket is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that we work with. As such, all posts are subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks. We ensure that we have a range of policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practice across our services.
HOURS
Agreed annual hours, around 1000 hours
SALARY
Negotiable depending on experience and qualifications
HOLIDAYS
28 days per annum (pro rata) which includes the 8 statutory Bank Holidays in England & Wales.
PENSION SCHEME
Automatic Enrolment into the Royal London Group Personal Pension Plan. Matched
employee contributions up to a maximum contribution of 5% of Basic Salary.
WORKPLACE
Durham Cricket, Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street, DH3 3QR
TO APPLY
To apply for the role please send a covering letter detailing your suitability for the role and a current CV to [email protected]
Closing date for applications – 7th March 2025
If you would like an informal discussion on the role please contact Richard Dowson, Chief
Operating Officer on 07909 875727.
