July 5, 2022 2.16 pm This story is over 20 months old

Commonwealth flags to line Queen’s Baton Relay route in Grantham

Local schools making flags and banners
St Mary's School Year 2 pupils colour baton relay flags.

Final preparations are under way to celebrate Grantham’s Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay stage, complete with 1,500 cheering children and a colourful array of Commonwealth flags.

Representatives in national dress from 12 member states will be lining the baton route on Monday July 11 as part of the Commonwealth Games build-up, all with flags representing the diverse congregation at the Jubilee Church Life Centre.

Commonwealth countries Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent, Grenada, Fiji, Uganda, Kenya, Gambia, Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzania and Nepal will all be represented.

Schoolchildren from 12 schools across the district have been busy making flags and banners, including St Mary’s School, where the whole school is turning out to line the route through Wyndham Park.

The relay, scheduled to start around 10.30am and starting and finishing in Wyndham Park, will take around half an hour to complete its 2.2km route.

Year 2 pupils at St Mary’s School getting flags ready for the relay in Grantham.

Redcross Street, Castlegate and Avenue Road will be closed to traffic as part of the route, with the relay finishing along the Riverside Walk.

Rotary fund-raiser Roger Graves is one of three local batonbearers, along with cycling campaigner Roy Redman, cancer survivor Rachael Bradley and charity fund-raiser Hannah San Jose.

South Kesteven District Council is organising the relay and urging the public to come out and cheer on the baton.

Wyndham Park is then staging a post-relay mass participation community event, organised by Inspire+ and LeisureSK. Schools have registered with Inspire+ to take part in sessions including yoga, boxercise and low intensity exercise starting at 11.30am.

Pre-school youngsters, businesses and the public are invited to simply turn up and join in.