The government's drive to get a million people playing more sport is to be promoted by nine new champions, one for each region in England.

The 'Regional Champions for Community Sport' will act as advocates for grassroots sport and Sport England's plans to increase participation. They will help to develop and take forward local partnerships that improve sports provision and take-up, as well as securing continued investment for grassroots initiatives. Announcing the move, sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe named the appointees as Stephen Castle, East of England; Manjula Sood, East Midlands; Shaun Dawson, London; Peter Rowley, North East; Pam Jervis, North West; John Cove, South East; Tim Coventry, South West; Dave Long, West Midlands; and Yuri Matischen, Yorkshire & Humber. Each will be expected to commit an average of half a day a week to their new roles.

The new champions' responsibilities will be to: - champion and advocate Sport England's strategy to key regional and sub-regional partners including Regional Development Agencies, Government Offices, Primary Health Care Trusts, local elected members, county sports partnerships, sport's national governing bodies (NGBs) at a regional level, business partners and the Third Sector;

- broker regional and sub-regional partnerships to secure continued investment in community sport; - support NGBs at a regional level to help them deliver their plans in support of Sport England's strategic objectives

- work with the London 2012 Nations and Regions Group to maximise the sporting legacy of the games; be spokespeople on behalf of Sport England on local community sports issues, reflecting the work being done to increase participation in sport, with funding from government and the National Lottery. Sutcliffe said: "Our new champions have an important role in taking forward the spirit of partnership that is essential if our aim of getting many more people playing sport as one of the key benefits from London hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games is to be realised.

"They all have practical experience, bags of local knowledge and the skills needed to unite the many bodies with an interest in getting people more active."