TOP athletes will visit the county this spring in a drive to get more people involved in sport.

A campaign to sign people up as “Sport Makers” in the run-up to the Olympics was launched in Oxfordshire last year.

The campaign, running nationally, aims to get volunteers organising community sports events to help people become more active.

Some major names in the world of sport have signed up to take part.

Tristan Hale, sports development officer at the Oxfordshire Sports Partnership, said: “We now have 10,000 people registered nationally to become Sport Makers.

“And the amount of people starting to come forward in Oxfordshire is brilliant.”

Coming to the county as ambassadors for the scheme over the coming months will be Commonwealth squash gold medallist Sue Wright, London Olympic judo hopeful Tom Davis and Olympic rower Ben Hunt-Davis.

As ambassadors, they will each give an insight on what it is like to compete at the top level, and how the Olympics has inspired them.

Mr Hale said: “The Olympics are in London, but even if people don’t care about that, even if they are bored with the event, I hope everyone can get on board with the idea of people being more active and doing more sport.”

The Sport Markers programme has been given £4m from the National Lottery and aims to get 40,000 people volunteering by the summer.

It is hoped at least 500 people will sign up in Oxfordshire to help run various sports. So far, 150 have come forward.

Everyone signing up is given advice and resources on how to get involved, from volunteering at Saturday football matches to encouraging friends to go for a weekly jog.

Last September, Olympic rower and dad-of-three Mr Hunt-Davis told the Oxford Mail: “With the Olympics, you have different bits of legacy – the buildings, the legacy of the actual Games. But one of the key things is what impact the Olympics will have on the public.”

* To get involved or to meet the ambassadors, register at sportmakers.co.uk and book up for one of the events.