Episode 009: Mike McCarthy and the Baton of Hope
- Content warning: suicide -
For the first time this series, we're going to put a content warning. In this episode, we talk about suicide, grief and loss, and if that's not for you, that's entirely understandable.
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Suicide is the biggest cause of death of people under the age of 35.
4x the number of people die by suicide than in road accidents every year.
In this episode, we speak to Mike McCarthy, the co-founder of the Baton Of Hope UK, the biggest suicide awareness and prevention initiative the UK's ever seen.
Tomorrow, Tuesday 10th October, is World Mental Health Day. It's a coincidence that this is the episode we're releasing today, but it's an important coincidence, perhaps.
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Mike lost his son Ross to suicide.
Ross had left a farewell letter to Mike to campaign for better mental health support.
Ross was 2 weeks into a 6 month waiting list for mental health support.
After meeting with Steve Phillip, who also had lost his son Jordan to suicide, the pair came up with the idea of an Olympic-style relay tour that could create a national conversation around suicide.
The ‘Baton of Hope’ started from Glasgow on the 25 June 2023, before finishing in London at 10 Downing Street, where Mike was presented with a Points of Light award by Health Minister Maria Caulfield MP. The award recognises outstanding individual volunteers, and prompted support from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, among many others.
In this incredibly powerful, important episode, we discuss Mike's life as a journalist, the impact of losing Ross, the system as it stands, how and why Mike believes we need to work towards a zero suicide society - and much more
Follow the Baton of Hope on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Listen to full episode :
009: Mike McCarthy on The Starting Line Podcast
