Eddie Izzard’s credentials as a comedian and actor are well known, but his long-standing passion for sport (and particularly running) is perhaps less so.

A few eyebrows – and a lot of money – were raised in the autumn of 2009, when he took a month off his entertainment work and completed an impressive 43 marathons in 51 days for Sport Relief. By the time he had finished, he had raised more than £1.85m for the charity.

A year later, in 2010, he was heavily involved in the search for the 70,000 volunteers needed for the London 2012 Games. To this day he continues to play his part in maintaining the spirit of London 2012 through his work as a high profile patron at the Join In Trust –  a 2012 legacy programme aimed at encouraging people to volunteer in their local communities.

“Volunteers are the backbone of sport in the UK – without them, sport just wouldn’t be possible,” says Izzard. “Behind every sporting champion or grassroots sports club is an army of volunteers who have dedicated their time and efforts to sport. Every Olympic, Paralympic and professional sports star started out at a local sports club or group. Any one of them will tell you how important volunteers are, and the vital role that they’ve played in their career.”

GETTING INVOLVED
Following his record-breaking marathon challenge, Izzard was asked to help with efforts to create a volunteer network for London 2012. Alongside a number of other famous faces, he was part of a team responsible for recruiting members of the public to do their part in fulfilling the Games’ legacy pledge – Inspiring a Generation. Being Izzard, his personality and enthusiasm for the cause was an instant hit and he soon became the unofficial “cheerleader” for the famous London Games Makers.

“I was lucky enough to be involved in a small way in the recruitment and training of the Games Makers,” Izzard says, playing down his role in his customary style. “And I’m thrilled to see that the awareness of and enthusiasm for volunteering continues to grow in the UK. It was in evidence last year with the Commonwealth Games’ Clyde-siders and the Tour Makers during the Tour de France Grand Départ.

“But the big, high-profile events are just touching the surface. Seven out of 10 grassroots sports clubs still need more volunteers. Given that each volunteer creates the capacity for at least 8.5 more participants in sport (yes, eight and a half people!), it’s vital that we keep the volunteering spirit alive.”

Izzard says his passion for – and understanding the importance of – volunteering was strengthened during his record-breaking marathon efforts.

“When I was running around the UK, in my haphazard fashion, I saw the spirit of volunteering every day. From the outside, running looks like an individual sport but you could not survive without the team you’re a part of.

“Your team are the people who sort you out mentally and physically at the end of every marathon and the start of every day. They share the highs and lows with you. It wasn’t just the experienced advisers, coach, sports therapist and tour manager who were part of this team either, it was also the people of Britain, and the volunteers who took time out to support me. People I’d never met before.”

HELPING OUT
Izzard takes his Join In responsibilities very seriously and regularly appears on TV and other media promoting the push for more volunteers. The latest campaign he’s lending his time – and considerable help – to launched earlier this year. 

The #BigHelpOut, organised in partnership with the BBC’s Get Inspired programme and paralympic champion Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, aims to find 10,000 new helpers for sport in the lead up to December’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year gala.

For Izzard, the challenge is not just to educate people about the joys of volunteering, but to give them the information they need to get involved helping out in the first place.

“I think there are many people out there who don’t actually realise how much sport relies on volunteers. Good people who, if we can engage them, would be more than happy to do their bit. There are also people sitting on their couches, wanting to help but not knowing where to start – as they don’t have any contact with sports clubs.

“People volunteer because they want to help and when they do they usually find they enjoy it. You don’t have to be good at sport to become a volunteer – which comes as a revelation to some people. Therefore, it’s important to make sure more people know that their help is needed – and that taking part is something they’ll enjoy.”

Details: www.joininuk.org