Glamorgan partner with tech company to improve matchday experience for autistic or anxious cricket fans

Glamorgan County Cricket Club has partnered with tech start-up Picturepath to provide cricket fans with autism friendly visitor guides.

Glamorgan is the first County Championship club to create these guides which will be available through the company’s award-winning visual timeline app.

Picturepath is designed to help people with autism and anxiety plan and visualise their daily activities.

As part of the app, the platform features visitor guides to allow sports clubs to better support fans with additional needs during match visits.

The app’s software enables fans who would typically struggle in heightened sensory environments, such as sports stadia, to reduce sensory stress by seeing, planning and preparing for each stage of their matchday visit.

Large crowds, loud cheering, floodlights, sights and sounds typical of matchday can cause significant anxiety for fans with additional needs, particularly those with autism.

Clubs are increasingly looking for solutions that improve access, inclusivity and allow all fans to enjoy a fair and equal matchday experience.

Memorable

Head of operations at Glamorgan Cricket, Dan Cherry, said: “As a Club, we’re always looking at ways to improve our customer’s experience and make their visit to Sophia Gardens memorable.

“The Picturepath app does this and also breaks down barriers for autistic or anxious fans and will help us to become more inclusive and welcoming to all fans.”

The app uses images from each specific venue including parking and transport links, entrances, views from seats, toilets, catering and navigating back home, meaning fans can use Picturepath to create visual timelines to plan their matchday experience to manage expectations and reduce anxiety.

Picturepath founder, Richard Nurse said: “We’re delighted to partner with Glamorgan to allow visitors to Sophia Gardens to plan their day using Picturepath’s visitor guides.

“As a father to a cricket-mad boy, I know how enjoyable it can be to bring children to watch cricket, but also that the unusual environment and all the sights and sounds can be unsettling, especially for autistic or anxious fans.

“Glamorgan are the first County Championship side to create these visitor guides and it’s wonderful to see that they’re committed to making visits less stressful, more inclusive, and improve the experience for all cricket lovers.”