Oxford: Commonwealth Games Baton Route Announced

29 January 2014, 18:30 | Updated: 29 January 2014, 18:37

The baton is set to visit the city on its two week journey across England to drum up support for Team England ahead of the Games which start in Glasgow on July 23.
 
The baton will start the day at the iconic grounds of Magdalen College School for a photo opportunity and will then make its way to Cutteslowe  to celebrate the Commonwealth Games and promote participation in sport.
 
Celebrations will continue into the early evening with the Cutteslowe Summer Festival. It will be an exciting event for the whole community to enjoy.
 
Councillor Mark Lygo, Oxford City Council Board Member for Park, Sport and Events says: “I’m delighted that Oxford was selected to host the Queen’s Baton Relay. This is a great opportunity for our city to show its support for Team England and help get the local people active.”
 
Commonwealth Games England President Dame Kelly Holmes, who won Commonwealth Gold in Manchester in 2002, says: “Oxford has a huge sporting tradition and I know that public here will support the English athletes at the Games in July. The QBR is a great chance to both send your backing to the Team in Glasgow and have a go at some of the sports that will be available at QBR events.”
 
The Queen's Baton Relay is the traditional curtain-raiser to the Commonwealth Games. By the time of its arrival in England the baton will have visited 68 nations and territories and covered almost a third of the world’s population. The baton contains a message from the Queen to the Commonwealth that will be read out at the Opening Ceremony of the Glasgow Games.
 
The Queens Baton Relay in England is supported with National Lottery funding from Sport England.
 
Its visit to England is the last international leg of the relay before the baton enters Scotland. Each English city or local authority area hosting a day with the baton will organise a series of events, many of which will be open to the public, to celebrate sport and rouse support for the team.
 
Commonwealth Games England are calling on the English  public  to greet the baton with messages of support to Team England via @weRengland or the Commonwealth Games England Facebook page OfficialWeAreEngland, and feel motivated to get moving and perhaps try a new sport.
 
At each event, there will be a small number of batonbearers, specially chosen for their contribution to sport in the local community. More information about the Batonbearers at each event will be announced in the Spring.
 
On its journey across England the baton will visit Manchester on Saturday May 31, travel to Cheshire (Congleton) before making its way to Sheffield (June 1), Birmingham (June 2), Plymouth and Bristol (June 3), Southampton (June 4), Tonbridge in Kent (June 5), Oxford (June 6), before travelling to London.
The baton will be in London over the weekend of (June 7 and 8) before moving to Suffolk (June 9) starting in Lowestoft. It then travels to Leicester (June 10), Hull (June 11) and Leeds (June 12).
The baton will then go to Newcastle Gateshead (June 13) and on the same day to its final event at Alnwick Castle, in Northumberland.