Charity status will be transformational for Oxfordshire Cricket

Becoming a charity will be ‘game-changing’ for the county, says Oxfordshire Cricket Managing Director Nick Pinhol.

The move would help Oxfordshire Cricket deliver more activities to encourage youngsters to take up the sport, plus educational programmes designed to help people fulfil their potential and lead fit and healthy lives.

It forms a key part of Oxfordshire Cricket’s ambitious growth plans which have also seen it form a partnership with the University of Oxford to deliver the Future Leaders Academy.

The initiative is designed to inspire a new generation of volunteers and youngsters via a development programme.

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Charity

Members of Oxfordshire Cricket recently voted at a Special General Meeting to apply to the Charity Commission to become a registered charity.

Other county boards have become charities in recent years, including Devon and Norfolk.

If successful with the application, it will provide Oxfordshire Cricket with a strong and sustainable foundation for the future of the sport across the county.

Becoming a registered charity will allow Oxfordshire Cricket to more easily apply for grants, expand its already successful programmes, and strengthen support for volunteers.

Significant

Nick Pinhol, Managing Director at Oxfordshire Cricket, said: “This will be a significant step forward for cricket in the county.

“Charitable status will be game-changing for Oxfordshire, ensuring that the future of the sport in the county will be brighter than ever.

“It will open up access to additional funding and resources to help deliver schemes which benefit clubs, schools, and communities across Oxfordshire.

“We are already delivering for free in more than 30 primary schools across the county, while growth at junior level has seen record rises.

“Introductory programmes such as All Stars and Dynamos are growing faster than in many other counties, providing a platform with huge potential to make a real difference.”

Oxfordshire women

Record-breaking

All Stars introduces cricket to children between the ages of five and eight, guaranteeing eight weeks of skills development, while Dynamos provides the next step, complementing junior cricket with a more social offer for children aged between eight and 11.

This year has seen 8,040 children reached through Oxfordshire Cricket’s bursary, community and school programmes.

Junior participation meanwhile has surged in the past two years. This year, a record-breaking 4,605 young players took part in Oxfordshire Cricket competitions, an increase of 232 players compared to 2024, and 778 more players than in 2023, highlighting the increasing appeal and reach of the junior programmes.

The Oxfordshire Cricket Board was formed in 1996 as an amalgamation of the Oxfordshire County Cricket Club and the Oxfordshire County Cricket Association.

County cricket in Oxfordshire can be traced back as far as 1779 though, when the county played a match against Berkshire.

By 1787, a county club existed, the first such organisation in the UK. Oxfordshire was then one of the founder members of the Minor Counties Cricket Association in 1895.

After folding in 1906, the county club was resurrected in 1921 and has since played in the Minor Counties Championship, since 2020 known as the National Counties Cricket Championship.

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