Blackburn with Darwen will welcome the Queen’s Baton Relay in July – part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The Relay will stop at three locations across the borough on Saturday, July 16th as it makes its way across Lancashire and on to Bolton.
Its final destination is Birmingham – where its arrival will signal the start of the Commonwealth Games, the largest sporting event in the country for a decade.
The local line-up has been split in to three – civic, community and celebration – and residents are being invited to cheer the Baton through Blackburn and Darwen:
Civic – the Baton will be officially welcomed by dignitaries, including the Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council and the borough’s Mayor, on the steps of Blackburn Town Hall just after 4pm
Community – Blackburn Rovers Community Trust is set to host invited sporting community groups to welcome the Baton at Ewood Park
Celebration – From around 5pm, carefully selected Baton bearers will relay the torch from opposite Lidl’s in Darwen up to the Market Square where a celebration will be underway with live music and sporting activities
New Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Councillor Phil Riley said:
This is a chance for our residents to be a small part of history as the baton calls at Blackburn with Darwen on its journey to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
We’ve worked hard to make the very most of the opportunity by arranging for the baton to stop at three places in our borough – Blackburn, Ewood and Darwen.
Whether it’s joining us outside Blackburn Town Hall or in Darwen Market Square for the celebrations, I hope residents will come out to be part of the Relay.
As the slogan for the event says: we’re ready to take it on!
The Blackburn with Darwen visit is part of the final leg of the Batons 294-day journey right across the Commonwealth. Inside is a message from the Queen.
Ewood Park – home to Blackburn Rovers – is one of the only football stadiums in the country to be receiving the Baton.
There, the club’s charity, Blackburn Rovers Community Trust, will host members of sporting groups from right across the area.
Gary Robinson, Chief Executive of the club’s charity, said:
We are incredibly proud to be invited to be part of the Queen’s Baton Relay and to be one of the very few football grounds to be involved right across the UK is phenomenal.
Our event will be a chance for sporting groups to come together to cheer the Baton on.
It’ll also be a way for people to share their inspiring stories of how sport has changed their lives – we’re really looking forward to it.
At Darwen, there will be a celebration of live music starting from around 4pm alongside sporting activities and demonstrations for all the family.
You can discover the full route here https://www.birmingham2022.com/queens-baton-relay/route/england
