The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay is confirmed to visit North Tyneside during its final journey through England this summer, as the full route is revealed.
The relay will arrive in Whitley Bay on the morning of Friday 15 July and will proceed from Spanish City, along The Links - including a special demonstration at the skatepark - before finishing near Western Way around 10.20am.
A short road closure will be in place on that section of The Links between 9.45am and 10.45am.
Seven official Batonbearers (listed below) were chosen for their contribution to the local community and will each carry the baton for 200m, and members of the public are invited to line the route and cheer them on.
Local choir Whitley Women will serenade it on its way and everyone is welcome to line the route to cheer them on.
The Queen’s Baton Relay is a tradition that celebrates, connects, and excites communities from across the Commonwealth during the build up to the Games. The Baton is visiting all 72 Commonwealth nations and territories over 294 days, including 25 days covering the length and breadth of England, and two days in the North East from July 14-15.
North Tyneside’s Elected Mayor, Norma Redfearn CBE, said: “The arrival of the Baton into North Tyneside will be a once in a lifetime experience for those chosen to carry it, and an opportunity for spectators to share in the excitement as we look ahead to Birmingham 2022.
“It is travelling an incredible distance to be here, and I know that the batonbearers will get a great reception in North Tyneside. I am proud that we are getting involved in what promises to be a spectacular event, which carries greater significance in the year that we celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.”
The baton’s global journey will conclude at the Birmingham 2022 Opening Ceremony where the final batonbearer will return the Baton to Her Majesty The Queen.
Birmingham 2022 marks the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay and it will provide the opportunity for communities to experience the excitement for Birmingham 2022, as the 11 days of showstopping sport nears ever closer.
The Queen’s Baton Relay is set to travel the length and breadth of England for a total of 29 days, before culminating at the Opening Ceremony for Birmingham 2022 on 28 July 2022.
Kicking off on Thursday 2 June, the Baton will spend four days in London, coinciding with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend. The Baton will then resume the international journey and return to England on Monday 4 July to commence a 25-day tour of the regions.
Thousands of Batonbearers, each with inspiring backgrounds and stories, will have the honour of carrying the Baton during the journey through England, including those nominated in recognition of their contributions to their local community, whether that be in sport, education, the arts, culture or charity. Between 40 and 130 Batonbearers will carry the Baton each day, and the Relay will reach hundreds of villages, towns and cities during its tour of the country.
Travelling via land, air and sea, more than 180 communities in England will experience the Queen’s Baton on a route spanning 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometres). From energetic cities and historic market towns, to rolling countryside and rugged coastline, the Baton will head as far south as Cornwall and as far north as Northumberland.
North Tyneside's Batonbearers (in the words of their nominators)
9.55 – 9.57
Paul Harris
As a headteacher, has gone above and beyond his role during the pandemic; supported the local community, which is in high deprivation-feeding families in crisis; delivering food parcels; supporting families affected by covid; constantly supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children/parents/staff; a rock in the community-making the school a hub for the local area, constantly promotes the importance of physical activity, arts and culture in school/wider community, provides breakfast clubs, as well as before and after school sports clubs to promote health/wellbeing withing the local community, does lots of charity work in his own time for the NSPCC.
9.57 – 10.00
Stephen Miller
Stephen has participated at 6 Paralympic games winning 6 medals over 25 years. He has inspired hundreds of participants both with disability and non-disabled to have a go at sport and physical activity throughout the North East. He founded the charity Smile Through Sport which delivers grassroot sport and physical activity for disabled participants. Stephen is always happy to talk about his disability and his sporting story and sharing his experiences with schools, companies, care homes and businesses. Stephen uses his CP as a positive tool for the challenges he faces.
10.00 – 10.02
Harriotte Lane
Harriotte has raised over £100,000 for charity in the past few years, is the proud owner of a Diana award and is generally a wonderful young woman who has I spired others through her extensive advocacy work. She's previously partnered with the British Transport Police to take action against VAGW with her campaign Report it, Stop it. Harriotte is a wonderful role model and I can think of no one better to literally carry the torch when she's has been figuratively doing so for many years.
10.02 – 10.12
Jakob Adams
Jakob is 15 years old and lives and goes to school in North Tyneside, attending Kings priory Academy in Tynemouth. Jakob has been a competitive skateboarder for six years and has been the sole NE representative on the National Skateboard scene. This reflects a huge commitment on Jakobs behalf, travelling significant distances to train and compete. In 2019, at the age of 12, Jakob won the UK B vert series, earning an invitation to skate with the top tier of UK skateboarders. Unfortunately in 2020 competitive skateboarding did not happen in the UK because of COVID-19. Last year the National UK Vert series re-commenced. This is a series of events around Britain where skaters compete on the biggest ramps in the country. Jakob exceeded all expectations and made the finals of every event and finished the series in sixth, against many older and more experienced competitive skateboarders. Jakob is a volunteer teacher of skateboarding for local children along with Shred the North skate school, a local skateboarding non-profit community interest company. Jakob is currently undertaking his Duke of Edinburgh award, incorporating his skateboarding activities, and inspiring others.
Jakob is a regular feature in the local outdoor skateparks of North Tyneside and is always keen to support skaters, young and old, to develop their skills. Skateboardings introduction to the 2020 Olympics was a great success. There has been a significant increase in participation globally, particularly amongst young females. Having a skateboarding Batonbearer would be a wonderful way to acknowledge this and to connect with the skateboarding community that has been so supportive of Jakob.
10.12 – 10.15
Bernard Johnson
Bernard is a truly inspirational figure who has been involved in athletics for over 60 years from an athlete to a coach and an official. He's a serial volunteer and has given a huge amount of time to help athletes compete over the years, especially for his beloved North Shields Poly club. Bernard has a determination to help to inspire kids to get involved in track and field, including making personal donations to clubs to encourage them to get more kids competing and encourage them to fundraise to help to grow the sport.
10.15 – 10.18
Stewart Pimblett
Stewart has committed most of his life to coaching junior wheelchair basketball teams and wider disability sports in the North East of England. More recently dedicating his time to raising awareness and participation in wheelchair curling, spending extensive hours fund raising for both the basketball ball and curling charities. Always willing to out of his way to help others and encourage those with newly acquired disability to participate in sport, A natural role model. It is difficult to condense his approach into just 100 words.
10.18 - 10.21
James Welford
James was a competitive swimmer when younger winning gold in the UK School Games. He was chosen as a young ambassador for sport representing the UK at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is now a sports teacher at Cardinal Hulme Secondary School. He is passionate about sport always encouraging and supporting his pupils in the benefits of sport. He continued to engage pupils during covid to keep up their studies via zoom. He ran 5k a day in lockdown raising funds for Mind and has ran several Great North Runs in aid of Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade. Big fan of NUFC.
Since its inaugural appearance at the Cardiff 1958 Commonwealth Games, the Queen’s Baton Relay has been a tradition for the Commonwealth Games.
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.”
Throughout May, the Queen’s Baton Relay continues its journey through the Caribbean and the Americas, with visits to St Kitts & Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, Bermuda and Canada, amongst others.
For more information on the Queen’s Baton Relay, visit www.birmingham2022.com/qbr.
