Oxfordshire Cricket is celebrating after officially becoming a registered charity, marking a significant milestone for the organisation and the future of the sport across the county.
The new charitable status follows a successful application to the Charity Commission and will enable Oxfordshire Cricket to expand its work in encouraging young people to take up the game, deliver educational programmes, and strengthen support for clubs and volunteers.
As a registered charity, the organisation will also be better placed to apply for grant funding, helping to create a more sustainable future for cricket at all levels across Oxfordshire. Other county cricket boards, including Devon and Norfolk, have taken the same step in recent years.
Nick Pinhol, Managing Director of Oxfordshire Cricket, said the move would strengthen the organisation’s ability to deliver lasting community benefit.
“Being officially recognised as a registered charity is a hugely important moment for Oxfordshire Cricket,” he said. “It strengthens our ability to invest in the game at every level and ensures that everything we do is focused on delivering clear community benefit.
“This status will help us reach more people, support more clubs and volunteers, and make cricket more accessible across Oxfordshire.”
The announcement was made at the launch of Oxfordshire Cricket’s 2025–2028 strategy, held at St Edward’s School in Oxford on Monday 12 January. The event brought together clubs, schools, partners, volunteers and young people from across the county.
Guests were welcomed with a video message from BBC Test Match Special broadcaster Henry Moeran, who outlined the strategy’s vision, priorities and the human impact of cricket in local communities.
Oxfordshire Cricket has set out ambitious targets for the next three years, including engaging more than 35,000 children through school and community programmes, increasing volunteer numbers by 30 per cent, achieving 20 per cent growth in junior participation, and training 150 new female coaches.
A key announcement at the event was the creation of the Oxfordshire Youth Board, designed to ensure young people have a direct voice in decision-making and play an active role in shaping the future of cricket in the county.
Peter Tervet, Chair of Oxfordshire Cricket, said the move to charitable status reflected a long-term commitment to good governance and sustainability.
“This is a proud moment for everyone involved with Oxfordshire Cricket,” he said. “Becoming a charity gives us the structure we need to safeguard the future of the game in Oxfordshire and ensure we are always working in the best interests of the cricketing community.”
Members of Oxfordshire Cricket voted in favour of applying for charitable status at a Special General Meeting in October, paving the way for the successful Charity Commission application.
The milestone builds on a long and notable history for cricket in Oxfordshire. County cricket in the area dates back to 1779, with the formation of a county club by 1787, making it one of the earliest such organisations in the country. Oxfordshire later became a founding member of the Minor Counties Cricket Association in 1895 and continues to compete in the National Counties Cricket Championship today.
