THE BATON OF HOPE TOUR RETURNS IN 2027

On the eve of World Suicide Prevention Day (10^th September), The Baton of Hope suicide prevention charity has confirmed the dates for its 2027 UK Tour. 

From 1^st September 2027, the world’s first physical symbol of mental wellbeing will start on its most ambitious journey to date.

Preparations are already underway to host the Baton’s arrival in Lincolnshire, on Friday 17^th September 2027. 

Jenni Swift, Project Lead for Lincolnshire, said:

Becoming the project lead for Lincolnshire’s Baton of Hope 2027 is a real honour. Carrying the baton in London in memory of my daughter Evelyn during the inaugural tour in 2023 was incredibly moving, not just for the moment itself but for the people we met along the way — families bereaved by suicide and people who had survived attempts who wanted to pass hope on to others. When my husband Jack carried the baton in Derby last year, it reminded us again just how powerful this movement is.

We’ve supported the Baton of Hope from the very start, and bringing it to Lincolnshire feels incredibly meaningful. Lincolnshire is a beautiful but geographically vast county, and too many people face isolation, loneliness and barriers to accessing support. Stigma around mental health and suicide still stops people from reaching out. The Baton of Hope offers a chance to change that — to spark conversations, raise awareness and remind people that hope and help are always within reach.

We’re grateful for the fantastic support we received from partners across the county, including Shine Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire Rural Support Network (LRSN), Lincolnshire County Council, North Kesteven District Council, City of Lincoln Council, Lincoln BIG and Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT). With their support, we can now begin planning a route and events that genuinely speak to our communities and their experiences. Our aim is to create a legacy that lasts long after the baton has passed through Lincolnshire.”

The area is one of 21 locations selected to take part in the relay around England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man throughout September and October next year. 

In Lincolnshire communities will unite to organise a day of activities and events to coincide with the Baton’s arrival connecting suicide prevention charities and mental health organisations as the Baton is passed from one person to another in a physical reminder of a shared responsibility.

In 2025 more than 1,000 Baton Bearers carried the embodiment of the charity’s name, with each Baton Bearer driven by their desire to change society’s attitudes to suicide.

Celebrities, sports personalities and politicians joining ordinary people made extraordinary by their courage and bravery in carrying the Baton on its way.

All were selected because of their personal stories of bereavement, or their lived experience of the impact of suicide.

The Baton of Hope is the charity’s physical symbol of hope carefully handcrafted by Thomas Lyte, a Royal Warrant holder as goldsmiths and silversmiths to His Majesty the King Charles III, and makers of the Emirates FA Cup and other exquisite trophies.

The 2027 campaign builds on the resounding success of previous Tours in 2025 and 2023 and marks the vital role the suicide prevention and awareness charity plays in saving lives

Mike McCarthy, Co-Founder & Chair of The Baton of Hope, said: “This is one of the most difficult subjects to talk about, but the Tour is as much about life and hope as it is about death and despair. Even if we bring just the smallest glimmer of hope to someone, we have opened a door.”

The online application process for the 2027 Baton Bearers also opens this week, on World Suicide Prevention Day, with details on how to apply on the charity’s website and social media. 

Like Mike McCarthy, many are driven by the legacy of their loved ones. Mike lost his son Ross to suicide in 2021.

“Ross asked me in his goodbye letter if I would fight for mental health support, and use my voice as a journalist to make people listen. To me the greatest privilege, the greatest cause is to save a life.” 

The Baton of Hope is a member of the National Suicide Prevention Network, an initiative launched by The Prince and Princess of Wales’ Royal Foundation, bringing together charities and organisations to help transform suicide prevention in the UK.

Following the success of the 2025 Tour, The Prince of Wales endorsed the charity’s work and in a letter to Mike, he wrote: "Together you have united people and communities across the UK to open up a national conversation on suicide.”