Cross Gates to host colourful swift homecoming parade this weekend

This weekend, Cross Gates will host the 2026 Swift Homecoming Parade as the birds make their journey from southern Africa to nest in the eaves of local homes.

Starting at Cross Gates Community Centre at 2pm on Sunday (May 10), the parade aims to raise awareness of swifts. These remarkable birds travel to the UK each summer to raise their chicks before returning to warmer climates.

Organiser Helen Lucy, who hosted the suburb’s first-ever lantern parade earlier this year, said the event will be a “huge amount of fun” but will also carry a “serious message” about swift conservation in the area.

She said: “The Swift Homecoming Parade wants to celebrate the swifts that still call the Poole Estate home, and to raise awareness of how much we need to help them survive.

“The number of nesting swifts has dropped by more than 60 per cent so far this century because they are losing nest sites in our buildings. By raising awareness of how we can help them, we hope to reverse this decline and prevent their extinction.”

Over the last few weeks, Lucy has led workshops to create giant swift models from willow and tissue paper, alongside local residents and groups from the School of Animal Care and Land Management at Temple Newsam.

The models will be paraded through the streets of Cross Gates, led by the Bare Brass Band and Dave the Unicycling Swift. After the parade, there will be free refreshments and activities hosted by the Right to Grow Project.

Those interested in installing a swift box can also get tips on how best to install nesting sites, and may receive one for free by emailing [email protected].