Queen's Baton Relay to arrive in Nottingham

The relay began its tour of the Commonwealth in October

A national baton relay to mark the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games is set to travel along canals and through caves into Nottingham.

The Queen's Baton Relay began its tour of the Commonwealth in October 2021.

It is due to visit Nottinghamshire on Sunday at the IT20 England v India match at cricket ground Trent Bridge.

It will also tour other city landmarks including Nottingham Castle, the Nottingham and Beeston canal and the city's network of caves.

'Magic'

The city council said there was a series of events and activities planned for the baton, which will be transported to the different locations by baton bearers.

One of them is Sam Perkins, 40, a Nottingham Forest fan whose charity Stand Against MND has raised almost £100,000 for motor neurone disease (MND) research and palliative care.

Mr Perkins was himself diagnosed with MND at the age of 37.

Another baton carrier is Amdani Juma, who came to the UK from Rwanda where he survived the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

The baton will be conveyed through Trent Bridge on its journey through Nottinghamshire

He has set up an HIV awareness project and the Nottingham Sports Group, which works to make sport accessible.

He also started the Sanctuary Nottingham, a self-help group for LGBT+ refugees.

The baton will complete its tour of England on 28 July, when it arrives in Birmingham for the Games' opening ceremony.

The council said it hoped members of the public would get involved with the celebrations and line the route.

Pavlos Kotsonis, portfolio holder for leisure, culture and planning at the council, said: "We look forward to welcoming the baton into the city and working to showcase the best of the area."

Phil Batty, director of ceremonies, culture and Queen's Baton Relay, said: "We hope that communities across the country join the excitement... and celebrate the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games."