Stars including World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan and Fran Kirby thank National Lottery for aiding grassroots sport

STARS including Cricket World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan and England women's footballer Fran Kirby have thanked the National Lottery for their work in growing grassroots sport.

Olympians Max Whitlock and Duncan Scott also feature in the star-studded video celebrating the 25th birthday of the National Lottery.

The video shows how lottery funding has been crucial for a whole host of sports down the years, with £5.7billion invested in the last quarter-century.

An open letter has also been signed by a host of governing bodies, including the FA and the ECB, thanking the lottery for their life-changing grants.

Whitlock, the most successful gymnast in Britain’s history, claimed: “It’s so important to invest in grassroots sport, and help people get active and get fit.

"There are so many benefits to taking part in sporting activities, and National Lottery players are making it possible.”

The National Lottery has taken a particular interest in cricket in recent years - helping to fund All Stars Cricket.

The scheme is designed to whip up enthusiasm for the sport among the next generation of five to eight-year-olds.

Launched in 2017, the programme recruits and trains adult "activators" – many of them the parents of the children taking part - to lead eight weekly sessions, which put an emphasis on having fun.

On top of that, a £1.2million National Lottery grant from Sport England is being used to extend it into Britain’s South Asian communities.