Our History
MP Sports Development Trust was founded in 2012 with a mission to create meaningful sporting opportunities for children who might otherwise miss out. In 2013, we ran our first free cricket coaching camp in India, providing both coaching and cricket bats to over 500 children. These early events were met with incredible enthusiasm and support, highlighting the importance of giving children access to quality coaching and equipment.
For five years, we continued this initiative annually, reaching hundreds of aspiring cricketers each year. Over time, however, we recognised that not every child in need could receive a bat due to resource limitations. This insight inspired a shift in our approach: we began focusing on providing free coaching to students while also engaging their parents, showing them how they could actively support their children’s sporting journey.
Since then, we have expanded our work to schools in Oxfordshire, offering free cricket coaching and nurturing young talent locally. Our events and programmes are designed not just to teach cricket skills but also to build confidence, teamwork, discipline, and a lifelong love for sport.
Why we started
The Trust was inspired by our founder, Manoj Parmar, whose childhood experiences shaped his vision. Growing up in India, Manoj faced significant challenges pursuing his dream of becoming a Ranji Trophy cricketer. He often had no money for proper equipment, so he used senior players’ shoes that were four sizes too big, tying them together with string to make them usable. He repaired old cricket bats with nothing but screws, glue, and nails. Despite these hardships, his determination never wavered.
Manoj is deeply grateful for the support and generosity he received along the way, and he wanted to ensure that other aspiring cricketers would not face the same barriers. This commitment led him to establish MP Sports Development Trust, an organisation dedicated to providing free coaching, guidance, and opportunities to young players, helping them develop skills, confidence, and resilience while pursuing their sporting dreams.
Our Vision Today
Today, MP Sports Development Trust continues to deliver free sporting opportunities across South Oxfordshire, reaching hundreds of children annually through tournaments, coaching sessions, and community events. Our programmes aim to remove financial and social barriers, making sport accessible to all children, encouraging healthy lifestyles, and fostering stronger communities.
A key part of our vision is to make sport completely free for children of all ages. We are starting this journey by offering free cricket coaching for children aged 5–9, providing structured, high-quality sessions that build skills, confidence, and a love for the game. Over time, we plan to extend these opportunities to older children as well, gradually expanding our reach so that more young people can benefit from cost-free access to sport.
Through our work, we hope to inspire the next generation of athletes, instil a lifelong love for sport, and provide young people with the support and opportunities that our founder, Manoj Parmar, wished he had during his own journey.