ITV and sports charity Join In announced on June 2 that they are partnering for the launch of a new ITV Local Heroes campaign to encourage volunteering in local sport, setting a target of generating interest in volunteering in community sport from a further 100,000 new volunteers.

As part of its on-going commitment to grass-roots sport, and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic legacy, Join In is partnering with ITV to connect viewers who register interest in volunteering with opportunities at local sports clubs in their local community.

Join In’s research suggests that every volunteer allows twelve participants to enjoy community sport, so with a target of generating interesting from a further 100,000 new volunteers, a boost of this kind could mean up to 1.2 million new participants involved in sport in their local clubs.

The ITV Local Heroes campaign kicks off on June 4 with a promotional trail starring England football legend Ian Wright. The promo for the ITV Local Heroes campaign will highlight the importance of volunteers within community sport and will debut during England’s pre-World Cup friendly against Ecuador.

Local Heroes will be brought to life in ITV Fever Pitch, ITV’s World Cup fan park in Manchester, where games will be screened every match day in a beach soccer stadium, and in the mornings, a community programme will run where schools from the North West will come down to receive beach soccer lessons from professionals.