People are asked to help create a chain of hope across Whitehaven Harbour next month.
Part of the Baton of Hope movement, organisers want to create a 373m paper chain filled with messages of hope, positivity, and encouragement, stretching from one end of Whitehaven Harbour to the other on Sunday, September 7.
The Baton of Hope is the UK’s biggest suicide prevention initiative. Its vision is to:
- Break the stigma around suicide through open conversation
- Inspire hope through action
- Ensure everyone feels supported and no one faces crisis alone
The Baton of Hope will tour Cumbria on September 7.
Lisa Birdsall, whose brother Stephen took his own life, showed personal determination to ensure Cumbria was awarded a chance to host the Baton of Hope 10 years on from his death.
Lisa, who lives and works in Carlisle and is from West Cumbria, her husband Jonny, suicide survivors and families of loved ones who have taken their own lives will form a relay through the county, with more than 80 baton holders, backed by a range of businesses providing funding and logistical support.
The Baton of Hope charity was founded in 2022 by two dads Mike McCarthy and Steve Phillip who both lost family members to suicide.
The Baton of Hope is due to set off from Cleator Moor, in the early morning of September 7, starting at Forth’s offices and Sellafield Ltd’s Engineering Centre of Excellence.
It will stop at the Goodlives project at Westlakes Science Park, Moor Row, before moving onto Whitehaven.
It will then travel to Bassenthwaite Lake, Penrith, and onto Carlisle.
For more information, visit www.batonofhopecumbria.co.uk and to donate visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/baton-of-hope-cumbria
To submit a message for the chain of hope, visit https://forms.office.com/e/mmSWiTzLE0
