Eddie Izzard and Tanni Grey-Thompson launch BigHelpOut

Sports volunteering charity, Join In and BBC Get Inspired have announced their partnership for the launch of the Big Help Out, an initiative to inspire 10,000 new volunteers to help out at local sports clubs, groups and events. Signing up is easy, simply log onto joininuk.org/bighelpout.

Eddie Izzard, who is patron of Join In and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, DBE, Trustee of Join In and Britain’s most successful Paralympic athlete, will launch the campaign in July, ahead of BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2015, which takes place 20 December in Belfast.

The Big Help Out builds on the success of the inaugural #BigThankYou at BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2014, which saw thousands of sports stars, clubs, players and organisations from across the UK say thanks to volunteers who dedicate their time to grass roots sport across the UK and helped to build their career in sport.

Eddie Izzard says, "Real heroes don’t wear capes or masks, they’re in the community around us, helping out at local sports clubs and using their super skills to help with fundraising, coaching, social media and everything else it takes. But it’s not just the players that benefit, these local heroes also feel happier and healthier for helping out.”

Join In’s research shows that every volunteer allows 8.5 additional participants to get active and enjoy community sport. With a target of generating interest from 10,000 new volunteers, Join In and BBC Get Inspired hope to see up to a significant uptake in new participants involved in sport at their local clubs.

Tanni Grey-Thompson added, "Volunteers have played a vital role in my career, their motivation, dedication and commitment has helped me progress in sport and they continue to help athletes, at every level, to take part in and enjoy sport.”

Barbara Slater, BBC Director of Sport commented, "I’m delighted that once again the BBC is partnering with Join In on such a worthwhile initiative. The Get Inspired website now attracts on average 1.2 million views a month with over 350,000 people referred onto partner activities last year alone. We want to use that success to build on 2014’s #BigThankYou campaign and inspire more people to get involved with their local sports communities.”

There are already 3.2 million people who are giving their time for free to enable sport to happen across the UK. Despite this huge effort, still 55% of the population don’t know that sports clubs are run by volunteers and 7 out of 10 clubs still need more help.

Every year BBC Get Inspired presents the Unsung Hero Award at BBC Sports Personality of the Year, which recognises one individual who has made an outstanding volunteer contribution to sport. Denis Neenan, last year’s BBC Midland Sport’s Unsung Hero agrees "I have been a volunteer for over 40 years and I'm still going strong. When I first started I could never have imagined the people I would meet and the places I would go through volunteering, it’s been incredible, if I had the chance to do it all again I would.”

Visit joininuk.org/bighelpout for further information and find local sports clubs that need your help.

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Notes to Editors:

Get Inspired is the BBCs campaign to help get the nation active. It works with grass roots sport and fitness organisations as well as governing bodies to encourage the BBCs audiences to get up off the sofa and get involved in activity, coaching and volunteering.

Join In is a London 2012 legacy charity that puts more volunteers into community sport.  For further information visit joininuk.org

For further information on Join In contact Jenny Scott: jenny.scott@joininuk.org

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