This week marked an important shift in our project from building the evidence base to engaging directly with the community. The highlight was meeting Ashad, the founder of Leys Cricket Club, at Leys Leisure Centre. Speaking with him provided valuable insight into the realities of establishing a grassroots sports organisation and reinforced many of the themes we had identified in the literature.

Ashad described how the club grew from a community petition into a rapidly developing organisation with strong local support. His emphasis on consistency, relationship-building and ongoing dialogue with Oxford City Council was particularly striking. Rather than relying on a single funding opportunity, he explained how sustained engagement had enabled the club to secure approximately £30,000 to support its development. It became clear that community-led sport is built as much through trust and persistence as through sporting expertise.

The discussion also highlighted the practical barriers that families face when accessing cricket. These ranged from the cost of facilities—where a parent hiring indoor cricket space could pay around £40 per hour—to transport, extreme summer temperatures and the wider cost of participation. Ashad also spoke about his ambition to work with local organisations to provide food alongside cricket sessions, recognising that community sport can support wider wellbeing rather than simply physical activity.

One of the most thought-provoking aspects of the meeting was his vision for making cricket more representative. Ashad challenged the perception that cricket should primarily be associated with independent schools and elite pathways. Instead, he wants to create opportunities where children from grassroots communities have an equal chance to participate and progress. He also discussed the difficulties of engaging some communities where cultural expectations or established hierarchies can limit participation, while expressing a determination to challenge those barriers through long-term relationship building rather than one-off interventions.

The conversation also helped shape the direction of our own research. One area Ashad identified as requiring further attention was girls' and women's participation. While the club has already established strong community relationships, he recognised the need for greater dialogue with women to better understand what inclusive cricket provision should look like. This has become a key focus for our next stage of data collection, informing our plans to engage with female coaches, schools and community organisations.

Alongside the stakeholder meeting, we attended workshops on referencing and academic writing, which will support the development of our report over the coming weeks. However, the discussion with Ashad was undoubtedly the defining moment of the week. It reminded us that while literature and local data are essential for understanding participation, meaningful recommendations ultimately need to be grounded in the experiences, ambitions and challenges of the people working within the community every day.