Founded in 2022, the Baton of Hope is a charity which enables a bespoke and symbolic baton to be carried through the streets of the UK as a unifying symbol of remembrance, hope and the need for urgent action over the tragic scale of suicides across the country.
First launched in Manchester in 2023 by bereaved fathers Mike McCarthy and Steve Phillip, who both lost their sons to suicide, the tour is being staged across the country again in September – and Blackpool has been selected as the place to launch it this year.
A raft of local celebrities including Charlotte Dawson were on hand earlier this week to help launch the event. Check out our gallery of pictures below and, for further information on Blackpool’s opening leg of the Baton of Hope 2025 UK tour, please visit www.empowermentcharity.org.uk/thebatonofhope
5. Mike McCarthy, Founder of Baton of Hope at the launch of the route. Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttard
Kelvin Lister-Stuttard
6. Launch of the Baton of Hope Route. Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttard
Kelvin Lister-Stuttard
7. Mike McCarthy, Founder of Baton of Hope at the launch of the route. Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttard
Kelvin Lister-Stuttard
8. Samantha Southern, Solace Suicide Prevention & Bereavement, Mike McCarthy and Charlotte Dawson with local impacted families, bravely supporting the movement and highlighting the importance of prevention through shared stories at the launch of the route. Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttard
Kelvin Lister-Stuttard