GARY LINEKER and netball star Geva Mentor have helped launch a scheme to boost Britain’s grassroots sports.

They attended a youth sports day at Connect Stars, a London-based community group who seek to tackle social exclusion among young people through the power of sport and physical activity.

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The stars encouraged people to volunteer with their local clubs as part of this year’s Big Help Out – which takes place on 7 – 9 June.

It comes after a report found a lack of volunteers is holding back the potential in the UK’s sport and physical activity sectors.

Supermarket chain Asda’s Community Tracker Report found 43 per cent of its customers would be likely to get involved in local volunteering opportunities.

And one in three believe it should be a priority to provide sports kit and equipment to under 18 sports teams.

Additional research from Sport England’s annual Active Lives survey shows the sport and activity sector has a deficit of 2.1million volunteers compared with five years ago, with many clubs struggling to find the volunteers they need to survive and thrive.

Lineker said: “Whether it’s the coach, the ref, the groundsman, the person who does the teas, washes the kit or sorts the fixture lists there are tens of thousands of people who give a bit of their time to make sure the rest of us can play.

“And we need them more than ever. A new survey this week found that more than half of community sports clubs are short of volunteers.

“Clubs can fold if they haven’t got the people to make them work so by getting involved you could be saving a whole community.

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“To find out what is going on near you all you have to do is download the app, tell it what you’re interested in and where you live and it will tell you all the activities that suit you in your area.

“So whether it’s foodbanks in Falmouth or kids’ cricket in Chiswick there are hundreds of thousands of ways to get take part.”

The Community Tracker is sent to three key audiences consisting of a panel of 1,500 shoppers, 390 Asda Community Champions and a selection of community groups who have applied for Asda Foundation grant funding.

It found 50 per cent of groups believe it is a priority to support holiday clubs that encourage active lifestyles and sport.

More than six in 10 (61 per cent) believe it is a priority to support local groups to provide active afterschool activities.

The biggest barrier identified for people to get involved with sport in their local area is having the funds to do so, followed by a lack of funding for teams and clubs in the local area.

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Chris McKellar of Asda said: “We are incredibly proud of the role we play in the communities we serve through our community champions and the Asda Foundation.

“Grass roots groups, like Connect Stars, are key to building connected communities – but they are hugely reliant on fundraising and volunteers to support their amazing work.

“We are proud to support Connect Stars with one of our Asda Foundation grants and are delighted to partner with the Big Help Out to encourage volunteering in local communities.

“Whether it’s through litter picks – like the many being arranged by our local community champions, or volunteering at a local group like Connect Stars – just a small amount of time can make a huge difference, and the Big Help Out app makes it incredibly simple to find options in your local area.”