The quartet, who won gold ahead of the United States and Nigeria in the men's 4x100 metres relay in Athens in 2004, will take part in a special volunteering relay of their own when they lend a hand to other volunteers at Battersea Summer Scheme, a multi-sport initiative for disadvantaged children in London, before showcasing their skills on the track.

The Relay is designed to give sports stars a chance to go back to where it started for them and work alongside volunteers, giving something back to community sport as well as helping unearth future elite performers.

Launched following London 2012, Join In is a sports volunteering charity that aims to increase local sports volunteering opportunities and help grow community sport.

Its patron is comedian and marathon runner Eddie Izzard.

Funded by the Big Lottery Fund, it has recently recruited more than 200 Local Leaders nationwide who will work with sports clubs and physical activity groups to help them recruit and retain volunteers, with the aim of putting 100,000 more volunteers into community sport.

In 2013 the Big Lottery Fund provided £1.5 million ($2.5 million/€1.9 million) to deliver the Join In Summer and Go Local event, which provided London 2012 volunteers and potential new ones the opportunity to continue volunteering at local clubs and community projects.

However, according to its own research, it claims 70 per cent of sports clubs throughout the United Kingdom need more volunteers.

The British men's 4x100m gold medal winning relay team will help launch a month-long volunteering relay in London ©Getty Images



Following the event in London, the Relay Baton will be passed on to former 10,000m world champion and Olympic silver medal winner Liz McColgan, who will be volunteering at a park run taking place in the Tollcross area of Glasgow which hosted this year's Commonwealth Games.

Throughout August, a host of Olympic stars are also set to take part in events on the Summer Relay including double Olympic champions Rebecca Adlington and Dame Kelly Holmes, three-time Olympic medal winner Louis Smith and Paralympic champion Richard Whitehead.

For more information on the Join In Summer Relay, click here.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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