Queen’s Baton Relay set for tour of city landmarks
DATE AND ROUTE ANNOUNCED AS PART OF A SUMMER OF PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS
THE Queen’s Baton Relay will be passing through Nottingham as it travels through the length and breadth of England.
The event is part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and will visit villages, towns and cities across the country before ending at the opening ceremony for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Kicking off on Thursday, June 2, the baton will spend four days in London, coinciding with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend, celebrating Her Majesty’s 70th year as Monarch and Head of the Commonwealth.
The baton will then resume the international journey, visiting the Falkland Islands, Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man, before touring home nations of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
It returns to England on Monday, July 4, to commence a 25-day tour of the regions. The baton will reach Nottingham on Sunday, July 10, visiting the T20 at Trent Bridge, travelling by kayak to the City of Caves and into Nottingham Castle.
Thousands of baton bearers, each with inspiring backgrounds and stories, will have the honour of carrying the baton during the journey, including those nominated in recognition of their contributions to their local community, in sport, education, the arts, culture or charity. Between 40 and 130 baton bearers will carry it each day.
One of the community baton bearers is Amdani Juma, a British Red Cross volunteer, who set up Sanctuary Nottingham.
He arrived in the UK following the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Inspired by the support he received, Amdani started volunteering for the British Red Cross, trained to become a first aider and began working with refugees and people who are HIV positive. In 2007, he set up his own HIV awareness project called African Institute for Social Development, which offers health services and support.
The project gained interest from Prince Harry, who was impressed by the methods of engagement used to support African men, women, and small businesses. In 2013, inspired by the London 2012 Olympics, Amdani set up Nottingham Sports Group, geared towards making sports accessible, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Following this, in 2014, he set up Sanctuary Nottingham. The idea for the self-help group for LGBTQ+ refugees was born after learning about asylum seekers from South Asia who had experienced abuse.
Since 2014, Sanctuary Nottingham has helped 22 people gain their legal right to remain in the UK. Amdani also works in conjunction with Nottingham City Council, NHS and police network in Nottingham to offer support.
Minister for the Commonwealth Games, Nigel Huddleston, said: “Travelling the length and breadth of England, the baton will bring the excitement of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games to every region of the country.
“The relay marks the final countdown to the biggest sporting event to be held in the UK since London 2012, and I hope people come together and line their streets to celebrate this historic moment.”