The Lacrosse Foundation first supported Oxford City Lacrosse Club’s junior development efforts back in April 2022, with a grant of £2520 to cover coaching hours for their outreach programme in the Blackbird Leys part of Oxford. More recently in January 2025, we provided a second grant of £2700 for a number of pop-lacrosse sets of equipment (totaling 180 sticks & balls, and 20 mini goals), to extend the Club’s lacrosse offer. As all involved in junior development will know, it is an ongoing effort which is dependent on a group of dedicated volunteers, who in this case have engaged local groups to expand the sport in the city.
On 11th June 2025, the Matthew Arnold School in Oxford hosted a Primary Schools Lacrosse Festival, with over 60 Yr5 + Yr6 pupils from the five local primary schools who have recently included Lacrosse as part of their PE curriculum. This initiative was driven by the Lacrosse Club, who have continued to offer outreach coaching to local schools – with support from TLF, as well as from Centurion LC, and a CPD event run by England Lacrosse for primary school teachers in the West Oxfordshire Partnership. This is the first time a lacrosse partnership between schools and a community club has taken place in Oxford.
Everyone had a lot of fun on the day of the Festival, and the Oxford City club signed up five new players as a result. Lacrosse received some great local coverage on BBC Oxfordshire which you can listen to here.
Oxford is now a thriving lacrosse city. The Oxford City club run Men’s, Mixed, Women’s and Junior sections – with the Mixed team having won the National Club Finals for the last two seasons; and both Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University have women's teams in BUCS Premier 1. The West Oxford schools are now keen to ensure lacrosse becomes a permanent part of the KS2 PE curriculum.
Annabel Campbell (President, Oxford City LC) reflecting on the success of the Festival:
"What a fantastic sight to see over 60 children playing lacrosse. I could hear cheers and shouts of excitement all afternoon - it demonstrates that lacrosse is an exciting sport and accessible to all. There was some real talent on display and I'm hopeful we can develop a West Oxford team to participate in regional and national POP Lacrosse tournaments next year; as well as see our club Junior section at the Oxford Community Day (clubs & unis) in October”.
and
Jake East (Head of PE at Matthew Arnold School) who helped to run the event:
"Lacrosse has been our first sports partnership with a local community club and it's been a huge success. The children's enjoyment was obvious and I thank all the staff for introducing and coaching a new sport within their PE timetable. We're now planning on creating similar festivals, introducing new sports to as many young people as possible, with the support of community clubs. Lacrosse has been a great sport to launch this initiative and we're keen continue and hold a festival every year."