Janine GriffithsCross Gates is preparing to welcome crowds this Sunday as the 2026 Swift Homecoming Parade gets underway. The event celebrates the annual arrival of swifts returning from southern Africa to nest in the area’s rooftops.
The community gathering will set off from the Cross Gates Community Centre at 2pm on Sunday May 10. Residents are invited to join the procession, which aims to highlight the birds’ long journey and the important role they play in the local environment. Swifts spend the summer in the UK raising their young before heading back to warmer regions later in the year.
Organiser Helen Lucy, who earlier this year coordinated the suburb’s first lantern parade, said the afternoon promises plenty of enjoyment while also shining a light on swift conservation. She added: “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.”
Anyone interested in installing a swift box will be able to access advice on suitable nesting locations, with free boxes also available by emailing leeds.swifts@gmail.com.
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