UK's largest ever suicide prevention initiative coming to West Lothian
The UK's largest ever suicide prevention initiative is coming to West Lothian.
The Baton of Hope Tour, is coming to West Lothian on Friday, September 5, and has officially entered the 10-week countdown.
The tour aims to bring about change in how we as a a society approach suicide. In how we talk about it and in how we support those affected by it.
West Lothian is the only Scottish stop on the tour.
The Baton of Hope was founded in 2022 by fathers Mike McCarthy and Steve Phillip, who were inspired by personal loss and are committed to changing the conversation around suicide, with the Baton first being carried through the streets of the UK in 2023 as a unifying symbol of remembrance, hope and the need for urgent action.
Mike McCarthy, co-founder of The Baton Of Hope, said: 'The idea is that people who have been bereaved by suicide or survived a suicide attempt find some comfort by being involved.'
Suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 50 in the UK, according to the Samaritans.
Mr McCarthy said he believed a change in strategy was needed.
'Suicide is preventable, he said. 'Whatever we have been doing over the last twenty years hasn't worked.'
He said he was motivated to start the charity after his son Ross took his own life.
'He wrote a long goodbye letter and one of the things that he said in that letter was please fight for mental health, the support is just not there,' he said.
'If he could look down and see what we are trying to do in his name, and the name of all of the people we have lost to suicide, I'm sure he would think 'I'm proud of what you are trying to do'.'
The West Lothian leg of the tour is being organised by Neil's Hugs Foundation, a charity dedicated to assisting those affected by the attempted or completed suicide of those close to them.
It will begin at Linlithgow Palace and will include stops in Broxburn, Armadale, Bathgate, Blackburn, Bents and Stoneyburn, and Livingston before ending at West Lothian College with a special event for baton bearers, their families, and invited guests.
The West Lothian part of the relay is organised by Neil's Hugs Foundation which was founded by Donna Paterson-Harvie whose son Neil took his own life in 2011, and who is now dedicated to supporting those affected by suicide in West Lothian.
More information on the relay is available at https://batonofhopeuk.org/
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