A PARTNERSHIP between City of York Council and the city's quilt museum has the Tour de France Grand Depart all sewn up.

Part of the welcome for the Grand Départ in York will be a series of five-metre long banners hung around the city and created by hundreds of residents involving more than 50 community groups and organisations.

Groups including the Samaritans, St Leonard’s Hospice, the Retreat, Haxby Road after school club, Heslington Rainbows and Holgate Windmill have seized paint brushes to do their bit to celebrate the TdF to York.

The banners use templates created by volunteers at the Quilt Museum and Gallery.

Cllr Sonja Crisp, cabinet member for leisure, culture and tourism, said: “It’s so important that everyone feels part of the Tour in York and the benefits it will bring, so the groups’ banners will be hung across the city to catch the eye of residents, visitors and to add to the visual impact of the city when the aerial TV cameras take to the skies on 6 July – over 3.5 billion viewers from 188 countries will be watching York.”

The project is part of the council’s York: Be Part of It arts and cultural festival which has over 120 events, projects, performances and exhibitions taking part.

Meanwhile Scarborough-based McCain has announced sponsorship as an official supplier of the TdF.

Mark Hodge, marketing director of McCain Foods GB, said: "We feel there is a natural synergy between McCain and Tour de France in Yorkshire and we are looking forward to celebrating the joy of such an exciting sporting event this summer."