Diving in

Fr Dean reflects on a day of global proportions with the first conference of the Cardiff More in Common Community Cohesion group

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I’m not a cricket fan. Apart from an acrobatic manoeuvre I once made as I dramatically dived across a friend’s lawn to catch a cricket ball in mid air accompanied by an applauding crowd of two (his parents) I can’t really recall a cricket moment I’ve ever really savoured. But I was ten. Does that count?

It’s strange how some people (i.e. me) fall easily into certain sports whilst others seem to be fans of whatever sport comes their way. Unfortunately, cricket never squeezed its way into my repertoire. It never managed to fight its way through football, rise beyond rugby or beat the attraction of athletics all of which seemed to dazzle my attention at the time. Apart from the dive. I remember the dive.

We define our experience of the world with moments. Sometimes they last just a few seconds, often slightly longer. But a moment is often enough to stay in our memory, like a kick, a catch, a dive.

And so we’re at the stadium of Glamorgan Cricket Club for a meeting of the “More in Common Community Cohesion” group. Whilst more than 80 delegates are gathered upstairs overlooking the pitch, groups of children are playing cricket.

It’s a tournament which celebrates Global Cricket, bringing school children together to engage with the sport but also to engage with the thought that maybe some people who share the field are different from them but also that they have even more in common. It’s the strapline which is sewn through this conference and through the work we are trying to do, inspired by the dream of Jo Cox who was murdered in 2016.

“We have more in common than that which divides us.”

Her sister, Kim Leadbeater MP, sends us a video message, wishes she could be with us, reaffirms the message, the vision, the dream.

The conference is the first ‘in person’ meeting of this new group of people. An amalgamation of the ‘South Wales Police Community Cohesion Group’ and the ‘More in Common’ Network inspired by the Jo Cox Foundation, it’s a diverse gathering of organisations from across Cardiff all of whom share the desire to create strong and safe communities for all.

There are representatives from the Police and the Local Authority, from the third sector and community groups. Councillors Julie Sangani and Huw Thomas are also here for part of the day, each with a message to share and words of support.

Amy Sanderson from Aberystwyth University shares some of her research, and how she observes the uniquely wonderful way in which Cardiff does Community work.

Inspector Mark Atwood from South Wales Police acknowledges both the successes and mistakes made by the police over decades but reaffirms their place and commitment to always do better and to do more.

We also hear from Meena and James from the Jo Cox Foundation. They’re sharing the story of the Great Get Together so far, and their plans for the future.

Before lunch there are eight break out sessions, each exploring a different area of community cohesion, from Education to Policing, from countering harmful narratives to Interfaith and sports – of course. The room is filled with a buzz of conversation as each person dives in with experiences, concerns, ideas. The feedback will feed into actions for the next year. We have our feet under the table but we’re ready to move on.

This is the third year our Ministry Area has been involved in the Great Get Together. It was an easy call for us. We were ready to dive in straightaway.

Towards the end of the conference, the school children file into the room, all 75 of them. They share their own experiences of their dive into the world of cricket, a world which spans boundaries and crosses cultures and which, like every sport, has the ability to bring us closer together. And then the final winner is announced.

The trophy is handed to the winning school by two Glamorgan Cricket players. “The Jo Cox Trophy” is inscribed upon it. The children cheer. There is applause. Laughter. Pride.

These moments may just be moments but they contribute towards a momentum, a movement, which celebrates diversity and what we have in common. A dive into a dream to create a community, a city, a country and, yes, a world where we enjoy mutual respect and understanding, with a sense of identity and belonging.

I wonder what these children will remember in years to come. What moments will help to define them, and how will this breaking down of barriers help shape the world to come? They are ten years old. Does it count? Oh I think so.

Anyone for a game of cricket?