Norwich was selected as one of 20 UK cities to host the national suicide prevention initiative.
More than 40 baton bearers joined the relay, stopping at key landmarks and community spaces including the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Eaton Park, Norwich Samaritans branch, Chapelfield Gardens, Norwich Lanes and Norwich Cathedral, culminating in a closing ceremony at Norwich City Football Club.
The baton’s journey was officially launched by the Lady Dannatt, the Lord-Lieutenant for Norfolk, at the Norfolk Showground.
She said: “This moment is not just ceremonial, it is deeply personal – because behind this baton are stories of lives lost, grieving families and communities desperately searching for answers. And ahead of it, we hope, are conversations that will quite literally save lives.”
The Baton of Hope’s journey around Norwich began at the Norfolk Showground, from where first baton bearer Ben Handford was driven on a John Deere tractor(Image: Chris Hill)
For the first leg of its city tour, the baton was carried by Ben Handford, a marketing consultant from Shotesham, near Poringland, who describes himself as a suicide survivor, having attempted to take his own life four years ago.
He now volunteers as a fundraising director for Norwich Samaritans, and has made it his “purpose and mission in life” to get people talking about mental health.
He said: “For me, this is a very visual thing through the heart of Norwich, showing people of all walks of life, from all backgrounds, that it is not just about statistics – there are people and families behind these suicide statistics and by being open and honest, and talking about it, we have got a chance of changing things.
“It is quite a difficult conversation to have with parents, or family and friends. They bat you away saying,’ Oh, the sun will be out tomorrow’. I don’t think they want to hear it, or they can’t take it on.
“But speaking to someone like a Samaritan, someone in the workplace, a colleague – reaching out to someone who does not know you as well can take the judgement and stigma out of it. A problem shared is a problem solved. It is not new – this stuff works.”
The Baton of Hope’s journey around Norwich began at the Norfolk Showground, where the Lady Dannatt, the Lord-Lieutenant for Norfolk, passed the baton to Ben Handford. Also pictured are Ian Dallas (left) and Anna McNeil from Norwich Samaritans(Image: Chris Hill)
The Baton of Hope campaign is led by Mike McCarthy, who told supporters at the launch event that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 and women under 45 – and it is the biggest threat to the lives of school-leavers.
The former journalist co-founded the charity to honour the final wish of his 31-year-old son, who took his own life in 2021.
Mr McCarthy said: “In his goodbye letter, he said, ‘Dad, please fight for mental health, the support is just not there’.
“He had suffered from severe depression for ten years, and he went to ask for therapy and was put on a six-month waiting list and ended up taking his life two weeks later.
“It made me realise, once I got back on my feet, that so many people who are effectively terminally ill cry out for help and are told, ‘Come back in six months’. That doesn’t work. If someone is in crisis you cannot park it for six months. You catch them at that moment, or you never catch them.
“But this day is not about death and despair. It is about life and hope. I believe with all my heart that 99pc of suicides are preventable with the right treatment at the right time. With this baton, we carry that sense of hope forward. We can change things.”
The Baton of Hope’s journey around Norwich began with a launch event at the Norfolk Showground(Image: Chris Hill)
The launch event at the Norfolk Showground was hosted by the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association and included mental health charities including Norwich Samaritans, YANA (You Are Not Alone) and the Farming Community Network.
Lady Dannatt said there was a particular need to focus on mental health in farming and rural communities which “touch the very soul of Norfolk”.
“Our farmers and our rural workers are quiet custodians of our land,” she said. “They work with extraordinary dedication, often in solitude, and with many burdens that are rarely spoken about.
“And yet too many carry those burdens in silence until the silence becomes unbearable. That is why we are here – to break that silence with compassion, with courage and with hope.”