Kent staff to take leave

Cricket

The majority of the nonplaying staff at Kent Cricket Club are to be put on furloughed leave.

Those on leave will be paid under the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Dover Athletic Football Club have already done the same to their staff. Kent have no games until at least the end of May.

Kent are currently completing the consultation process and the new scheme took effect from Monday, April 6.

The club will continue to operate with a skeleton staff. Kent Cricket chief executive Simon Storey said: “The club’s leadership team have had two clear priorities, since the Covid-19 outbreak: the health and well-being of all Kent Cricket employees and stakeholders, and securing the club’s financial sustainability.

“We have always said that we would need to work on a package of measures to secure our financial future. “The announcement by the ECB detailing their emergency financial measure of £61million, to be invested across the professional and recreation county game, was an important part of the plan. “We have also worked tirelessly to examine all options to reduce our costs in the short term but with nearly all the club’s commercial activity and our delivery programmes in the community suspended until at least May 28, we have had to make difficult decisions which are designed to overcome the short term challenges we are facing. “The introduction of the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is one more positive measure we are taking to secure the long-term protection of jobs at Kent Cricket.

“‘Together, We Are Kent’ is more than a set of words at Kent Cricket; it underpins the values we hold as a club. I extend my sincere thanks to all the team who are accepting these measures for the benefit of everyone at Kent Cricket.

“Many of our players also joined our off-field staff and coaches for the announcement and they are equally aware of the challenges we face and the impact that the COVID-19 outbreak is having across our community.

“Both the club and players are awaiting the outcome of negotiations between ECB and PCA as they continue to seek a game-wide solution.”