Cricket Wales CEO Leshia Hawkins discusses WSA Advocacy Plus

Cricket Wales CEO Leshia Hawkins discusses WSA Advocacy Plus

Cricket Wales CEO Leshia Hawkins has spoken to the Welsh Sports Association (WSA) about her organisation’s use of Advocacy Plus, a tailored package offering specific guidance and support in relation to Welsh Government and the Senedd.

Cricket Wales have been utilising the bolt-on service since February 2023 and have found it to be a “game-changer” according to Hawkins.

Watch the full chat below…

“It’s changed the game in terms of being able to have a kind of finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the political world and the Senedd,” she commented. “It’s something that, clearly, as a National Governing Body, we have to be across, take an interest in, be able to engage in.

“Particularly for us, it’s (supported in) really understanding the movers, the shakers, the influential people, the key issues that are keeping Members of the Senedd, and people in those positions of influence, awake at night, but also giving us opportunities to really get involved where we wouldn’t have that kind of antennae up.

“For us,” she continued, “the value comes from a tailored approach. There are a lot of support services you can buy into … but what’s really been crucial and critical and really helpful to Cricket Wales is just that level of agility and, as I say, that kind of tailoring to our specific needs rather than it being kind of an off-the-shelf product or service.”

The WSA’s Membership Plus packages are designed to provide financially effective, tailored approaches to maximise organisational capacity.

Learn more about Membership Plus and get started here!

“As an NGB with a lot of other things happening,” Hawkins explained, “it’s not something we can always give that time to… so for us to have that extra pair of eyes and ears and proactive prompts as to the things that we should be aware of has been an absolute game-changer.

“The burden it’s eased has been time – it’s capability and capacity – and I guess that’s probably quite consistent across your medium- and smaller-sized NGBs.

“It’s definitely a cost-effective solution,” she confirmed. “In fact I don’t even see it as a cost, I see it as an investment. It’s another person, almost, but not having to pay for all of the oncosts and the big salary, but still a lot of the benefits of having a person.”

Cricket Wales are one of a few WSA members taking advantage of Advocacy Plus, and Hawkins would urge more to think about following suit.

“I would 100% recommend Advocacy Plus!

“It’s been an absolute game-changer for us; the value is spectacular, so I’d absolutely encourage anyone who’s small, medium or even really large NGBs to consider it!”

Don’t hesitate in contacting the WSA team if you want to discover more about Advocacy Plus, Finance Plus, Content & Comms Plus, or any of the WSA’s other services!