We’re one week away from the Baton of Hope coming to North Lincolnshire and to British Steel.
The Baton of Hope is a registered charity formed by Mike McCarthy and Steve Phillip, who lost their sons to suicide. Determined to create hope for other facing the despair their sons had encountered, they set up the Baton of Hope to raise awareness about the biggest killer of both men and women under the age of 35 in the UK.
On Monday 15 September, our Scunthorpe site will be opening the North Lincolnshire leg, where representatives of North Lincolnshire Council and members of the Baton of Hope will deliver speeches to highlight suicide prevention work. Then, 15 baton bearers will carry the baton across parts of our Scunthorpe site before the baton makes its way to other places in the local area. The 15 baton bearers include MP Lee Pitcher, Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison, North Lincolnshire Council Leader Rob Waltham MBE, Chief Inspector Alasdair Booth, and Steve Hepworth, Chief Executive of Ongo.
We first announced we will be hosting the opening leg of the North Lincolnshire tour in February, after our Occupational Health Manager, Martin Welch, had been in contact with Farzana Khanum, Public Health Manager at North Lincolnshire Council, and the two began discussing ideas on how to mark the day.
Martin said: “As a business, we’re dedicated to supporting our workforce regarding mental health and suicide awareness. Working with our partners at North Lincolnshire Council, I am proud to welcome the Baton of Hope to our site and we pledge to continue to make the mental health and wellbeing of our colleagues a top priority.”
Martin and others have spent months planning, sorting the route, organising Emergency Services on site, planned the event in the Conference Centre, engaged with the Baton of Hope, the volunteers and the baton bearers.
Farzana said: “I want to take a moment to recognise the incredible work of Martin in making the Baton of Hope launch at British Steel a reality.
“Over recent months, Martin has been the one to put everything in place from banners and media messages to driver training and logistics. Martin and his team have gone above and beyond to make British Steel a beacon for suicide prevention and I couldn’t be prouder to have worked alongside him on this journey.”
British Steel has also signed the Gold Workplace Pledge, demonstrating our commitment to creating a safer, more supportive workplace. We will be presented with this award by Mike McCarthy on Monday.