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.
Olympic and Paralympic charity Join In has also partnered with ITV to recruit members of the public to volunteer at ITV Fever Pitch, throughout the duration of the tournament.
Rebecca Birkbeck, CEO of Join In commented, “Join In is thrilled to be working in partnership with ITV, putting sport at the heart of communities by encouraging thousands of people to volunteer at local sports clubs and groups across the UK. We believe that this collaboration with ITV Local Heroes will inspire 100,000 new volunteers to lend a hand and encouraging more people into sport and ultimately leading happier and healthier lives.”
Sara Hanson, ITV’s Head of Corporate Responsibility said, “This summer ITV will be bringing some of the world’s biggest sporting events into our homes, and we hope to channel some of that national pride and emotion into local community sports. Over the year we run a number of public campaigns linked to our programming or national events to encourage more viewers to make a difference. Our hope is that fantastic events like the World Cup will inspire viewers to get active and offer their help, so even more people can enjoy community sport – there is no better time to become an ITV Local Hero.”
