'Baton of Hope' tour 2025 set to arrive in Hereford
This Olympics-style torch relay will arrive in the city today (2 October) as part of a UK-wide tour
Note: This article features discussion about suicide, and has links to support at the end
A scheme aiming to raise awareness about the devasting impacts of suicide is set to make its way across Hereford today (2 October).
'The Baton of Hope' will be carried by around 68 people through various points on its journey which starts off at 8:30am with a tractor run from the livestock market in the city.
It'll then make its way onto the walking route, which gets underway around an hour later from Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College, before finishing at the town hall in the afternoon.
Herefordshire Council's head of communities Emily Lowe says the baton acts as a symbol for such an important message.
"It's a really good opportunity to open up conversations about mental health and try and reduce some of the stigma around it and encourage people to reach out for support," she said.
"In Herefordshire it's particularly important with some of our communities, such as our farming one.
"I think it's really important for us that the baton isn't just about this one day, it's sparking the conversations about long-term change and it's how we can think about the legacy of the baton and what's going to come after it to make sure we keep that conversation going."
This Olympics-style torch relay was founded in 2023 and is concluding this journey on 10 October in London.
The national tour got underway in Blackpool at the start of September.
Support
If you've been impacted by the issue of suicide you can get more information about the Baton of Hope on their website.
If you're looking for support services near you, then you can find them across the UK using the Hub of Hope.
Hear more about the Baton of Hope, including from co-founder Mike McCarthy on the Mental Health Monday Podcast.