‘Road to Rio’ Baton Expedition

Mr Paul Mainwaring, Head Teacher of Ty Croes Primary School in Ammanford is fronting an exciting and enthralling expedition which has begun this year. The expedition ‘Road to Rio’ will be held between the years 2013 to 2016 and will celebrate the ‘Olympics’. The strategy is that six countries Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia and Cornwall will all host a baton for this period of time and have the baton travel each respective country. Each baton holds a different meaning which follow the Olympic values. The baton in Wales holds the meaning ‘friendship’. The idea is that the baton will be passed from School to School in at least one of twenty three boroughs in Wales.

When the baton is hosted within a School pupils will visit different attractions in their area and photograph the trip for media evidence. This will then accumulate at the end of the expedition into a photographic extravaganza detailing the whole expedition. At present the pupils at Ty Croes Primary School hold the baton and have taken it on many exciting trips. They have taken the baton to Ammanford Castle and also Kidwelly Castle in recent times.

This is a fantastic vision and will teach the pupils who host this baton that ‘friendship’ is an important ethos of the Welsh culture and as such we should be thoughtful and caring within all communities. The baton will be passed to the County Borough of Pembrokeshire during the Urdd Eisteddfordd which is hosted in Boncarth during the May Half Term week. We will be keeping in touch with each respective Borough and will keep you updated on our website.