Eddie Izzard to lead the #BigThankYou to grassroots sport
Join In and BBC Get Inspired are joining forces again to lead the UK’s biggest thank you to sports volunteers at BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2015.
Taking place in Belfast on Sunday 20 December, Join In patron Eddie Izzard will be asking the sporting greats attending the star-studded event and the viewers at home to say a #BigThankYou to the UK’s unsung heroes of sport.
Eddie said: “It’s incredible how many people are investing their time into helping others stay fit and active. Whether it’s friends motivating each other to go out running, an enthusiastic parent collecting subs or the coach taking training each week, there is a whole army of helpers out there, building their communities by making sport happen. We want to celebrate their incredible achievements and everything they do for British sport.”
Live on the red carpet, Eddie will be manning our gold phone box and inviting the stars to phone and surprise outstanding sports volunteers, saying a #BigThankYou for all their hard work.
Last year’s star callers included Tom Daley, Carl Frampton, Chris Hoy, Nicola Adams, Rory McIlroy and Paula Radcliffe.
The 2014 #BigThankYou was a great success as sports stars and viewers took to social media to publicly thank the volunteers at their grassroots sports clubs. The result was overwhelming, with #BigThankYou trending globally on Twitter, beating the X Factor final!
This year we’ll kick off the weekend at Waterworks parkrun in Belfast with Michael McKillop making a Big Thank You to the parkrun volunteers. parkrun have been instrumental with Join In and BBC Get Inspired in extending our Big Thank You campaign of 2014 into the Big Help Out of 2015.
How you can get involved - Simply share your own #BigThankYou to a volunteer!
Use the #BigThankYou hashtag on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. There are over 3 million volunteers in the UK making sport happen in local communities. So whether you take part in sport, run a sport group with other volunteers, are a parent or just think that these people are incredible, now’s your chance to say your #BigThankYou.
TWEET YOUR #BIGTHANKYOU
SHARE YOUR #BIGTHANKYOU ON FACEBOOK
POST YOUR #BIGTHANKYOU ON INSTAGRAM