Darwen made local history on Saturday when the handover of the Queens Baton heralding the Commonwealth games took place amongst throngs of welcoming adults and children in the Market Square. Darweners did themselves and Lancashire proud on a warm sunny afternoon with both the Boroughs Mayor, Councillor Suleman Khonat and Darwen Town Council Mayor, Stephanie Brookfield celebrating the occasion enthusiastically.

The Commonwealth Games will start on Thursday July 28^th and end on Monday August 8^th, Birmingham will host over 5,000 participating athletes from 72 member nations and territories.

On the 7^th October 2021 the Queen launched the Queen’s Baton Relay that takes 294 days, starting in Cyprus, and travelling to all the competing nations and territories over a distance of 87,000 miles.

The baton itself was created in the west Midlands and is an amalgam of Copper, Aluminium and Steel, it carries the Queens message which will be read out at the opening ceremony of the Games.