A HOST of inspiring community champions have been chosen to be baton bearers as part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The Queens Baton Relay will run from Wolverhampton to Brierley Hill on Sunday July 24, with a total of 35 baton bearers selected to take part in the Dudley borough.

Professional ballroom and Latin dancer Amy Dowden has been chosen for her work running Art in Motion dance school in Dudley, which gives young people in Dudley chance to practise performance arts. She is also a national household name for her appearances on BBC One’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.

Amy said: “I’m so honoured to be chosen as a bearer for Dudley, which is a second home to me.

“I will carry the baton as a cheer for the wonderful and flourishing talent that we have in Dudley borough, and I hope it will encourage more children and young people to take up sport and physical activity.”

Councillor Shaz Saleem, Dudley’s cabinet member for public realm, has also been chosen to be a baton bearer.

Cllr Saleem, a local businessman, has raised funds for many charities including Dudley Mind, Duke of Edinburgh, British Liver Trust, Russell’s Hall Hospital and Papayrus.

His adventurous fundraising challenges have included skydiving, climbing Ben Nevis, zipwire and bungee jumping. He also runs a youth club, has established the Wall Heath in Bloom movement and works with neighbourhood officers on Speed Watch.

He said: “It is a great privilege to be selected and I want to thank everyone in the local community for getting behind my charitable endeavours.

“I set up The Saleem Foundation in tribute to of my late grandfather, who was passionate about supporting people through local community issues, and he will be very much in my thoughts as I carry the baton.”

Other inspiring people set to carry the baton include health campaigner Haania Hussain, former fire service commander Andy Cashmore, former Olympic hockey star Jennie Bimson and dedicated charity fundraiser 12-year-old Imogen Shuttleworth from Stourbridge.

Medical student Haania Hussain has used her experience growing up with asthma to improve young people’s experience of healthcare. She also works to raise awareness of health and social inequalities faced by minority communities.

Andy Cashmore from Lower Gornal sustained life-changing injuries after a road accident in 2020. The 57-year-old Group Commander, who served with West Midlands Fire Service for more than 27 years, had to retire but has raised in excess £10,000 for the Fire Fighters Charity since. He was also part of a multi-agency response team who protected the Olympic Torch around the UK, and at the Olympic sailing event in Weymouth in 2012.

Jennie Bimson grew up in Dudley borough and has competed in high-level sporting events, including the Olympics in 2008. She has also represented England in three Commonwealth Games at Kuala Lumpur, Manchester and Melbourne, where she won two silver medals and a bronze. She played in 201 international hockey games during her 10-year career. Busy mum Jennie now lives in Wall Heath with her husband and five-year-old son.

Stourbridge schoolgirl Imogen Shuttleworth has been a dedicated fundraiser for Birmingham Children’s Hospital since she was six. Her younger sister was admitted to the hospital when just five weeks old for an operation and subsequently had another operation two years later, which inspired Imogen to raise more than £13,000.