Sadiq Khan to welcome the Baton of Hope to London (6th July)

The Baton of Hope, the biggest suicide prevention initiative the UK has ever seen, will visit London in July on the first ever tour of its kind.

Highlighting the suicide crisis that sees 17 people take their own lives every day, the charity’s Baton, its iconic physical symbol, will embark on a tour of 12 cities across the UK, starting in Glasgow on Sunday 25th June and ending in London on Thursday 6th July. The Baton will bring a unifying message of hope to the thousands of people across the country that are suffering as a result of suicide bereavement or personal mental ill health. A unique and magnificent piece, the Baton has been made by Thomas Lyte, goldsmiths and silversmiths to the late Queen Elizabeth II, and makers of the Emirates FA Cup and Rugby World Cup’s Webb Ellis Trophy.

Throughout the tour, the Baton will be carried by notable personalities, those with lived experience of mental ill health, and people with their own inspiring stories of hope. This includes charity ambassadors and supporters Dr Alex George, the UK Youth Mental Health Ambassador, Sheffield Wednesday and Wales midfielder Will Vaulks, and Norman Cook, aka DJ Fatboy Slim.

Project leads for the London leg are Martin Schleicher and Victoria Wright, who lost her husband to suicide. Matthew Wright was a professional three day event rider and, after battling depression for many years, took his own life in February 2021. Victoria and Matthew had set up Riders Minds to support the mental health of those within the equestrian community and the charity has gained the backing of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports and the International Olympic Committee. In London, among the Baton bearers will be the Team GB equestrian team who claimed eventing Gold at the Tokyo 2022 Olympic Games.

Victoria says, “Our day’s itinerary is committed to bringing the Baton’s message of hope and life to as many people and communities as possible across the course of the day. From young people to the military, from using arts and music as therapy to promoting the work undertaken by local charities to support those suffering, we want to show how we all have a responsibility to each other to eradicate the stigma of mental ill health and save lives. Our thanks go to all the charitable initiatives, venues, ambassadors, MPs, sponsors and more who have contributed to making this day the success it will inevitably be.”

Starting at the Emirates Stadium, the Baton will be met by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Arsenal F.C., which delivers and funds a range of mental health, counselling and suicide prevention initiatives in the local community, including the Brandon Centre and the Body & Soul Charity. The club’s Disability Offer, Luke Howard, will be the first Baton bearer of the day. The Baton will move to King’s Cross on a London Underground carriage, thanks to support from TFL, and then to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. Here, a performance of the play The Sound of Silence, written by Brian Daniels, will tell the tragic story of the death of Ross McCarthy, son of the Baton of Hope’s co-founder, Mike McCarthy. The Baton will then visit the steps of the Royal Albert Hall for a ‘Voices of Hope’ concert, including a performance by Scarlett Chapman, the youngster who found fame busking on the street of Brighton. Last year, she raised over £10,000 for homeless charities and supported The Hoosiers on tour at only 12 years old.

Horses from the Household Cavalry mounted division will meet the Baton at Constitution Hill and the Baton will be carried on horseback by members of the Blues and Royals and the Gold Medal Olympic Eventing Team to Horse Guards Parade. At Horse Guards, members of the armed forces and emergence services will lead a tribute to our serving heroes and veterans, highlighting the mental health difficulties they face. From 2pm, a ‘Charity Village’ hosted outside Tate Modern will highlight the work being delivered in mental wellbeing and suicide prevention by local charities and organisations. From Shakespeare’s Globe, which will become the Globe of Hope for one day only, Dr Alex George and fellow mental health campaigner Ben Wood will carry the Baton by boat to Embankment Pier.

The day will culminate with a visit to the Houses of Parliament, where the Baton of Hope’s Workplace Charter was launched in May. Full details of the route can be found here: https://batonofhopeuk.org/the-tour/london-route/.

The Baton of Hope was co-founded by Mike McCarthy, whose son Ross battled depression for a decade before taking his own life in 2021. Ross left behind a young son, a fiancée, and a heartfelt request that his family campaign for better mental health support and Mike is committed to honouring this final wish through the charity.

Mike adds, “The significance of this event cannot be overestimated. For the first time, a physical symbol that can be passed from bearer to bearer – from sufferer to sufferer – is spreading a message that we needn’t struggle alone.

“I am deeply moved and humbled to see truly inspirational people from across the country carry this baton as a symbol of compassion, hope and responsibility. ‘Responsibility’ because everyone of us can play a part in tackling the challenges presented by suicide. For too long, the stigma associated with having the conversations that we so desperately need to have has taken those closest to us. We have a huge mountain to climb in breaking this stigma, raising awareness of the importance of mental wellbeing and re-calibrating our approach to the societal catastrophe created by suicide, but the Baton of Hope Tour marks the start of positive change.”

In less than a year since the Baton of Hope’s inception, it has achieved staggering traction. Over 120 MPs have already pledged to support the charity in its vision of a zero suicide society, such as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who recently commended the charity’s work during Prime Minister’s Questions. A number of major organisations have also come on board as sponsors, including Alstom, Savills, Starbucks, TFL and Westfield Health.

The Baton of Hope Tour is an entirely non-profit initiative, with all donations going to spreading a message of hope to all those affected by suicide or mental ill health. Please support the Tour by visiting: https://batonofhopeuk.org/.