Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay to visit Plymouth

11th May 2022

The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay is confirmed to visit Plymouth during its final journey through England this summer, as the full route is revealed.

Birmingham 2022 is hosting the 16^th 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 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.

On Monday 4 July, Plymouth, Britain’s Ocean City, will officially welcome the Baton as it arrives from Mount Edgcumbe in Cornwall by boat, crossing the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park. It will leave at 9am and travel on Plymouth Boat Trips’ e-Voyager, the UK’s first seagoing electric ferry, which offers a greener mode of transport across the water and the first zero carbon leg of the route.

The Baton will be accompanied by a flotilla of vessels, including sailing boats and paddle boards. It will travel past Pier Master's House, the historic emigration depot, before arriving on shore at the Barbican Landing Stage and being carried to the Mayflower Steps. It will then travel past the Plymouth Naval Memorial on Plymouth Hoe and down Armada Way before finishing at The Box, Plymouth’s newest cultural attraction and archive.

The National Marine Park, the first in the UK, has been created with the aim of improving access to and engagement with the sea to ensure that everyone in Plymouth can enjoy the significant benefits that being on, in, under or next to the water provides. By increasing community connection with the natural environment, the ‘Park in the Sea’ also hopes to increase engagement with sustainability and ocean protection, and boost the blue economy.

A busy schedule of activities and events are planned for the Queen’s Baton Relay, with opportunities to highlight untold stories from Batonbearers who are striving for change in their community.

The schedule of activity for the Baton’s time in Plymouth includes:

• A civic welcome at the Mayflower Steps, in a nod to 4 July and Plymouth’s American connections, with the Lord Mayor of Plymouth and other city leaders
• Passing the Plymouth Naval Memorial on Plymouth Hoe, which is dedicated to British and Commonwealth sailors who were lost in the First and Second World Wars with no known grave
• A community welcome on the Piazza at the heart of the city centre
• A greeting from local schoolchildren as it arrives at The Box, after which it leaves Plymouth to travel to its next destination in Devon.

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 Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Councillor Terri Beer, said: “Plymouth is immensely proud to be hosting the Queen’s Baton Relay in such a momentous year. It gives us an opportunity to showcase everything that Britain’s Ocean City has to offer to the rest of the UK, and to the world. It will put the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park in the spotlight, as well as shining a light on the dedication and hard work carried out by the local people who have been given the honour of becoming Batonbearers.”

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.  

One of the confirmed community Batonbearers in Plymouth is Toby Gorniak MBE, Artistic Director of Street Factory CIC. Toby was nominated for the inspirational work he does to empower people, using hip hop to inspire and uplift young people, their families and communities.

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.

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.

The dates of when the Baton visits each region are:

• 4 July – 5 July: South West
• 6 July – 7 July: South East
• 8 July – 9 July: East of England
• 10 July – 11 July: East Midlands
• 12 July – 13 July: Yorkshire and the Humber
• 14 July – 15 July: North East
• 16 July – 17 July: North West
• 18 July – 28 July: West Midlands

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.

The Queen’s Baton

The Queen’s Baton for Birmingham 2022 was created in a West Midlands collaboration that fused art, technology and science. Made from copper, aluminium and steel, the Baton also features a platinum strand in homage to The Queen in her Platinum Jubilee year. It is also equipped with cutting-edge technology; 360-degree camera, heart rate monitor, atmospheric sensors and LED lighting.

For more information on the Queen’s Baton Relay, visit www.birmingham2022.com/qbr.

The information provided on the route through England is subject to local authority approval and therefore could be subject to change.