Published: Friday, 29th July 2022

Dear friends,

After four years of preparations the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games are finally here. Last night we launched the local celebrations; a colourful evening of music, dance and entertainment was enjoyed by hundreds who gathered with their picnics at the Pump Room Gardens Festival Site, before viewing live on the big screen the spectacular opening ceremony at Alexander Stadium.

This morning saw the start of a feast of sports action, with the preliminary rounds of the lawn bowls and para lawn bowls competitions getting underway on the immaculate Victoria Park greens.

A warm welcome is being given to teams who have travelled from across the globe to take part, with players representing nations, large and small in one event that epitomises all that we cherish about the Commonwealth. The friendly Games have arrived, so don’t waste the opportunity to be part of the action, with tickets still available at the B2022 website for many events, including the Lawn Bowls competition underway right here on our doorstep.

Games Festival Sites in Leamington’s Pump Room Gardens and Warwick’s market square are open daily from 10am to 10pm until 8 August. As well as watching the action on the big screen, there are daily activities from bowls to table tennis and volleyball, as well as the opportunity to enjoy a picnic and sample food and drink from a variety of concessions.

Thanks to Leamington BID, there are even free ‘pedi-cabs’ on hand to take visitors from the Pump Room Gardens into town in style, for a spot of lunch or shopping!

Bookending the Games is CultureFest a celebration of our incredible arts, heritage, theatre and creatives. The world-class programme runs to 21 August, including elements such as the Leamington History Group’s Commonwealth Town Trail, the Culture Cycle, Play me Leamington Street Pianos, Warwick’s unbelievable history and regular favourites, such as the Art in the Park Festival.

To make the most of this summer of fun, Public Health England are advising us to stay hydrated and sun safe in the hot weather, as well as keeping up our Covid protections, washing hands regularly and staying at home if we’re feeling unwell.

In other news:

  • Safer Streets - The ever vigilant and hardworking Health and Community Protection team have secured a ‘Safer Streets’ grant to install lighting, CCTV and other safety improvements at Eagle Rec.  This funding supports is a concerted effort to address a key, anti-social behaviour hotpot.
  • 123+ waste collections start on Monday - The herculean task of delivering the new food caddies and recycling bins to all households across the district is progressing well. Please check the 123+ website pages for the latest information and to report missed deliveries. There may be delays in the delivery of all the new bins to some areas, if so in the meantime please put out the old bins on collection day. Please download the new WDC App for details of your particular bin collections dates, as well as set-up bin collection reminder notifications and to also access a variety of other helpful information.

And finally… at a time when many are feeling uncertain about what the future may hold, it is important to pause and reflect on all that we’ve achieved through uncertain times in preparing for these celebrations. So, let’s remain hopeful and optimistic. The faces of our visitors beaming as they join these Games, reflect not only the years of preparation, but the warm welcome being given by hundreds of wonderful local volunteers. This is the moment to join our guests and wholeheartedly celebrate the friendly Games, sharing with all 25 nations visiting our extraordinary and beautiful corner of the Commonwealth.

Keep smiling and enjoy the Games.

Cllr Andrew Day
Leader, Warwick District Council

Chris Elliott
Chief Executive, Warwick District Council

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