Team GB's Olympic heroes are throwing their weight behind an initiative that aims to support them to give back to the communities that have supported them.

Swimmer Duncan Scott, rower Lola Anderson, gymnast Max Whitlock and boxer Lewis Richardson are among athletes who have become National Lottery 'ChangeMakers'.

The ChangeMaker initiative is a partnership between The National Lottery's operator, Allwyn, Team GB, ParalympicsGB and UK Sport designed to ensure sustained social impact that delivers long term for communities.

UK Sport Chair Dame Katherine Grainger said: "This has been driven by the athletes themselves.

"We have an amazing group of athletes who believe in what they do and have huge ambitions, but they want to feel that what they do has a bigger impact beyond their own success. They want to see that the success they've had can be magnified in communities.

"The timing is crucial - when the Olympics ends, the impact doesn't need to stop there, and we can positively reach people's lives in the months and years to come."

A number of leading Team GB medallists, including Lola Anderson, Lewis Richardson, and canoeist Joe Clarke - made a beeline for North Paddington Youth Club just hours after returning from Paris on the Eurostar.

This was just one example of fantastic community initiatives that are taking place across the UK throughout the week, with athletes getting involved and championing community activity which matters to them.

Rowing gold medallist Anderson said: "It has been surreal to come back to an event like this because I remember going to events like these when I was younger around London 2012.

"When you watch the Olympics on TV, it can seem quite far away and exclusive. Just coming back and encouraging kids to try anything they can get their hands on is amazing."

Boxing bronze medallist Richardson said: "At the Olympics, you're in your own little bubble. Coming back, it's really powerful to see kids looking so positive and so inspired.

"The National Lottery does so much to help me as an athlete at the highest level but, even more importantly, it's so vital to support community projects like North Paddington Youth Club who are more than sport – it's essential to the local community."

Canoeing silver medallist Clarke said: "We are fresh back from Paris and trying to create that inspiration for the nation.

"Bringing an Olympic medal down gets a good buzz around the children and it's great to be able to inspire them."

The ChangeMaker initiative is being made possible by the new operator of The National Lottery, Allwyn, which has pledged to make a difference through its annual £1M Social Value Fund.  

Andria Vidler, CEO of National Lottery Operator Allwyn, added: "ChangeMakers is the first campaign from Allwyn's new Social Value Fund, which is designed to enhance and support National Lottery-funded projects.

"After an incredible Olympic Games for Team GB we are all excited to help make a difference for the future, supporting Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes by enabling them to give back and power the impact of National Lottery funding in their communities."

The ChangeMaker initiative is a partnership between The National Lottery's operator, Allwyn, Team GB, ParalympicsGB and UK Sport to support Great Britain's athletes to make a positive difference to social impact projects they are passionate about.