Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay to visit Telford & Wrekin
The Baton will visit Telford & Wrekin on Tuesday 19 July
The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay will be visiting various locations in Telford and Wrekin and we encourage you to come down and cheer on the Batonbearers, some of them our own local heroes, and welcome the baton to the region as Telford and Wrekin officially welcome the relay on Tuesday 19 July.
Birmingham 2022 is hosting the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay – a journey which brings together and celebrates communities across the Commonwealth during the build up to the Games. In England, the Queen’s Baton Relay will provide the opportunity for communities to experience the excitement for Birmingham 2022, as the 11 days of show stopping sport nears ever closer.
How to get involved in Telford, Tuesday 19 July:
The Telford leg of the baton relay will be begin by visiting Ironbridge, as well as passing under the Ironbridge down the River Severn on a specially commissioned coracle between 8:00 – 8:30am with a special celebration at the world famous bridge.
Watch the relay and baton bearers carry the baton through The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trusts’ Blist Hill Victorian Town. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. You need to arrive by 8:20am at the latest. You can find out more online and also sign up for tickets.
Spectators are also encouraged to come down to Southwater and Telford Town Park to line the route of the relay from 8.30am for the arrival of the baton just before 9.00am. A relay circuit of Southwater and the Town Park will be highlighted with a celebration of sports in the QEII Arena with school children, including a podium moment for the baton.
Members of the public are encouraged to get involved with the celebrations and embrace the arrival of the Baton, taking the opportunity to experience the buzz of Birmingham 2022 in their community. The Birmingham 2022 website will more details on the events and where to line the route.
Cllr Shaun Davies, (Labour) Leader Telford & Wrekin Council said:
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome the Baton to Telford and Wrekin and are looking forward to local residents and visitors having the opportunity to get involved with activities, cheer on the Baton bearers and be part of the whole experience. We are one of hundreds of communities across the country that will receive a visit from the Queen’s Baton Relay this summer. This event will showcase untold stories from specially-nominated Batonbearers who have transformed lives in their community, be it through sport, education, the arts, culture or charity.
Our residents are encouraged to get involved in the celebrations and embrace this national sporting event.”
The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay began at Buckingham Palace on 7 October 2021, when The Queen placed Her Message to the Commonwealth into the Baton and passed it to four-time Paralympic gold medallist Kadeena Cox, who had the honour of being the first of thousands of Batonbearers to carry the Baton.
Since then, the Baton has visited Commonwealth nations and territories in Europe, Africa, Oceania. It still has further destinations in the Caribbean, the Americas, and more countries in Europe, including the Home Nations consisting of five days in Scotland, four in Northern Ireland and five in Wales, where it will finish on Sunday 3 July, before returning to England in summer for the final countdown to the Commonwealth Games.
Phil Batty, Director of Ceremonies, Culture & Queen's Baton Relay, said: “Whilst the Baton has been travelling across the Commonwealth, we have worked closely with Local Authorities in England to devise a route that engages with hundreds of communities, passing sport venues, historic sites, local 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 Batonbearers who take on challenges, and marks the countdown the biggest sporting event in West Midlands history. And by the time the Baton returns to England for the final leg, 71 nations and territories will have already experienced the magic that comes with it.
“We hope that communities across the country join the excitement, attend events near them, line the streets to cheer on our incredible Batonbearers and celebrate the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.”
Commonwealth Games Federation President Dame Louise Martin DBE said: “The Queen’s Baton Relay symbolises hope, solidarity and collaboration across the Commonwealth at a time when it is needed most. It continues to inspire people wherever it goes and creates huge excitement for Birmingham 2022 as it journeys towards the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony on July 28.”
