Queen’s Baton will visit town
Summer date for Commonwealth Games relay
THE Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay will visit the Staffordshire Moorlands during its final journey through England this summer.
It’s the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay – which brings together communities across the Commonwealth during the build-up to the games. It’s set to travel the length and breadth of England for 29 days before arriving in Birmingham for the Games’ opening ceremony on July 28. As part of the journey, the relay will visit Leek on July 19.
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council leader Paul Roberts welcomed the news.
He said: “We’re so excited that in the year the nation and the Commonwealth celebrates the Platinum Jubilee, the Queen’s Baton Relay is coming to the Moorlands.
“It’s a chance to showcase our beautiful district and to be inspired by the amazing stories of the local people who have had the honour to be chosen as Baton bearers.
“We’re planning events and activities to help everyone celebrate the arrival of the Baton in the Moorlands and we’ll be saying more about that in the coming weeks. But, for now, save the date of July 19 in your diaries. It promises to be an event to remember!”
Members of the public are encouraged to get involved with the celebrations and embrace the arrival of the Baton by taking the opportunity to experience the buzz of Birmingham 2022 in their own communities.
The Birmingham 2022 website will be updated with information over the coming months with details of the events and where to line the route.
The relay began at Buckingham Palace in October when the Queen placed her message to the Commonwealth into the Baton and passed it to fourtime Paralympic gold medallist Kadeena Cox, who was the first of thousands of Baton bearers.
Relay director Phil Batty said: “While the Baton has been travelling across the Commonwealth we’ve worked closely with local authorities in England to devise a route that engages with hundreds of communities, passing sports venues, historic sites, schools and areas of outstanding natural beauty.
“Yet the Queen’s Baton Relay is far more than just a journey. It symbolises connecting people from every corner of the Commonwealth, celebrates Baton bearers who take on challenges, and marks the countdown to the biggest sporting event in West Midlands history. By the time the Baton returns to England for the final leg, 71 nations and territories will have experienced the magic that comes with it.
“We hope communities join the excitement, attend events near them, line the streets to cheer our incredible
Baton bearers.”