Luke honoured to carry the Commonwealth relay baton

A former Driffield School & Sixth Form student will represent the East Riding of Yorkshire when the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay arrives in the area this summer.

The Queen’s Baton Relay will travel the length and breadth of England, allowing communities across the country to experience the build-up ahead of 11 days of sporting action at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The relay will be travelling for 29 days, reaching its conclusion at the opening ceremony of the Games on Thursday 28th July.

Starting on Thursday 2nd June, the baton will spend four days in London to coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, before resuming its international journey and returning to England on Monday 4th July ahead of a 25-day tour.

The East Riding will welcome the baton on Wednesday 13th July, with a packed schedule of activities and events planned for the Queen’s Baton Relay, with the chance to highlight the stories of the batonbearers, including Luke Lambert.

Luke was nominated for the role by charity Brain Tumour Research, which he raised thousands of pounds for after his mum, Jenny, was diagnosed with a grade 4 brain tumour in November 2016.

Sadly, after undergoing emergency surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Jenny, who lived in Fimber, passed away three years later.

Luke’s loss was the inspiration behind the 29-year-old’s five-day, 250-kilometre Wadi Rum Desert ultra-marathon in the Jordanian desert, as reported in Wolds Weekly, where temperatures reached 42 degrees Celsius.

Not only that, but during his epic journey last October, Luke developed severe plantar fasciitis on the first day.

However, he battled on through the pain to raise over £23,000 for Brain Tumour Research and Young Minds UK.

Although details of his role as a batonbearer remain in the early stages, Luke said he feels honoured to have been chosen as the East Riding’s only representative when the relay comes to Beverley and Market Weighton.

“I received an email from the Commonwealth Games to say that I had been nominated by Brain Tumour Research as a result of my fundraising in 2021,” said Luke.

“To be honest, I didn’t think anything of it, I presumed that everyone who had raised a decent amount of money would have been sent one.

“Then I heard I had been selected, but again, I thought that lots of people would have been.

“But then when I was contacted by East Riding of Yorkshire Council last week, I was told that I’m the only person in the area to be named as a batonbearer.

“It seems crazy when you think about some of the fundraising other people have done.

“I don’t really know too much about it yet but it’s a huge honour for me to represent the region.

“It’s great to have the Commonwealth Games in England and being part of this baton relay will be something I always remember.”

Beverley and Market Weighton have been chosen as the destinations when the Queen’s Baton Relay visits East Yorkshire.

Short-term road closures are expected on the day and will be announced in due course.

The route for the baton’s time in the East Riding is as follows:

Beverley
Start 10:26am: Beverley Minster – Highgate – Wednesday Market – Toll Gavel – Saturday Market – Lairgate – New Walk – Molescroft Road. Finish 11:02am Longcroft School

Market Weighton

Start 11:29am: Beverley Road roundabout – High Street – Holme Road. Finish 11:42am Sandwalk

Members of the public are being encouraged to get involved with the celebrations and embrace the baton’s arrival.

Further details of events and where to line the route will be available via www.birmingham2022.com over the coming months.

“We are thrilled that the Queen’s Baton will be carried through the streets of Beverley and Market Weighton in celebration of the Commonwealth ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games,” said Cllr Jonathan Owen, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

“To be part of this occasion is a real privilege and I’m sure the residents of the East Riding will come out in full support to cheer on the incredible Batonbearers whilst the baton visits our historic towns this summer.”

Luke will be one of between 40 and 130 batonbearers who will carry the baton every day as the relay reaches hundreds of villages, towns and cities across England.

Travelling via land, air and sea, more than 180 communities in England will experience the Queen’s Baton Relay, on a route spanning 2,500 miles.

The 2022 edition started at Buckingham Palace in October 2021, when the Queen placed a message in the baton.

Since then, it’s visited Commonwealth nations in Europe, Africa and Oceania and will soon take in North and South America.

The baton will also be in Ryedale on 13th July and is to visit Malton.