In 24 pictures: Hastings welcomes the Baton of Hope

The Baton of Hope tour is the UK’s­ largest ever suicide prevention initiative and was launched in 2023. The tour started this year in Blackpool on September 1 and will culminate in London on October 10. The Hastings stage of the tour got underway at 8am at Hastings Castle.

Jacy Kilvert, the Baton of Hope Hastings project lead, said: “We applied to be part of the national tour for the Baton of Hope last November. The national Baton of Hope tour is travelled across 20 locations, we were lucky enough to be one of those. We had 43 people carrying the baton of hope across Hastings. And each and every one carried that for their own personal reasons, in memory of somebody that has lost a suicide, or in recognition of their own personal journey.

“The campaign is all about raising awareness and prevention, linking, signposting, and encouraging open and honest conversations and trying to tackle some of the stigma around having those conversations and about being able to say I do feel this bleak, I do feel this low and somebody being able to receive that and not being too frightened to carry that conversation on and being able to support that person and know where to signpost them to.

“And ultimately it's all about hope. It's about hope that there is another way, that we are here and today we're saying that Hastings really cares and we want to say, you know, there is hope, there is love and we can all support each other.”

The finale event at the Stade saw music, stories and speeches to send messages of hope.

You can donate to help support the project at www.gofundme.com/f/the-baton-of-hope-hastings-tour-2025.