Derby is to host an emotionally charged city-wide day of free events in September as the UK’s largest suicide prevention initiative comes to the city for the first time.
Led by Ilkeston woman Claire Goring who was left devastated when her father took his own life more than 20 years ago, the Baton of Hope event is taking place in Derby on September 13.
Claire said: “My dad had been suffering. He had had a bad back and had been redeployed from work. He just felt like he was useless.
“He didn’t feel like he could stay. For me, at that age, it was really difficult. I was very close to him so it was a huge loss and a real shock. I didn’t expect it. I never thought he would do that.”
The Baton of Hope is a nationwide tour staged in cities around the country having been founded in 2022 by fathers Mike McCarthy and Steve Phillip who were united by the loss of their sons.
In Derby, the day will see around 100 ‘baton bearers’ who have been affected by suicide processing around the city carrying the symbolic ‘baton’ in memory of loved ones who died by their own hand.
Claire was inspired to bring the Baton of Hope to Derby after being a baton bearer elsewhere.
The event will involve an extensive programme of events all around Derby themed around raising awareness, boosting wellbeing, bringing people together and providing signposting to mental health and wellbeing services available in Derby and Derbyshire.
The tour starts off at Elvaston Castle at 7am where there will be opening talks before a group of motorcyclists will carry the baton to The University of Derby in time for its first official ‘leg’ at 8.30am.
From the university the baton will be moved on foot by baton bearers to Darley Park which will be filled with a family friendly fair for the day, complete with stalls, choral performances, yoga sessions and other activities designed to boost wellbeing.
Along with face painting, workout classes, therapy dogs, cake, coffee and ice creams, there will be representatives from a wide range of groups including Girlguiding, Derby School of Nursing, Everyone Active and many more.
The baton is due to arrive at Darley Park shortly after 10.30am and at around 1pm it will be taken from there to Derbyshire County Cricket Ground where there will be cricket-based activities and a talk from Olivia Cusack from the Maddy Cusack Foundation.
Throughout the day it will progress to Ascot Drive Fire Station; train manufacturer Alstom, Florence Nightingale Hospital and Pride Park stadium, finishing at Cathedral Green in the evening where celebrations around the event’s finale will take place including performances by the renowned Derby Rock Choir, men’s mental health project Under the Bridge Choir, plus The Georgia Bird Foundation Choir – set up in honour of Georgia Bird, a young singer who took her own life.
Organisers on the day will be unveiling the Baton of Hope’s ‘Workplace Pledge’, which asks organisations to sign up to a pledge designed to create psychologically safe workplaces by removing the stigma around suicide.
At The Hub at Pride Park, where the baton arrives at 3pm, there will be a free ‘leader live’ event for business leaders where speakers including ex professional footballer and mental health campaigner Clarke Carlisle will be discussing mental fitness in the workplace.
Claire said: “We hope lots of people will come out to Derby on September 13 to take part in our Baton of Hope event. We’ve got lots of things for all the family from face painting to craft activities along with plenty of advice on wellbeing and where you can go to seek help if you are struggling with mental health. Most of the activities will be free so we hope lots of people will come and join us.
“There’s a huge group of volunteers and organisations who have given so much time and energy to bringing The Baton of Hope to Derby. We’re really grateful to everyone who has pledged their support and will be joining us on their day, whether it’s manning a stall, holding a class, bearing the baton or speaking at one of our events.
“Suicide is the leading cause of preventable death in this country and rates are above the national average in Derby and Derbyshire. We hope to try and change that. Your support on the day will mean the world to us all so please come on September 13 and see everything we’ve got to offer!”
For more information contact Lucy Stephens at Penguin PR on [email protected] or call 0771 983 9446.
