David Thomas: Celebrating the success of Torbay’s Baton of Hope relay

I was proud to be invited to hand out awards at the Baton of Hope thank-you event last week.

It was a real honour to stand on stage at the Lyceum Theatre alongside the baton bearers, organisers and volunteers who helped make the Baton of Hope relay so special when it visited the Bay last September.

As a reminder, Torbay was the only place in the South West chosen to host a leg of this nationwide tour. The Baton of Hope is the United Kingdom’s largest suicide prevention initiative. It is a relay that celebrates mental wellbeing while raising awareness of suicide and the importance of supporting one another.

Close to one hundred baton bearers took turns carrying the baton across Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, cheered on every step of the way by supporters lining the route. They did not just walk either. The baton travelled around the Bay in some memorable ways including by steam train, RNLI lifeboat and even Knight Rider. Along the way the event also raised £9,000 for local suicide prevention charities.

It was an extraordinary day and one that required an enormous amount of planning and preparation from individuals and organisations across Torbay. We are fortunate to have a strong tradition of partnership working in our community and that spirit was clearly on display in the months leading up to the event.

It therefore felt entirely right that those who helped make the day possible were publicly thanked, which brings me back to that evening at the Lyceum Theatre.

Alongside Daisy Lloyd, a suicide prevention podcaster who works with Sound Communities, I had the privilege of presenting the awards. Officially there were eight awards handed out on the night, but in truth the list of people who played a part in the success of the relay was far longer. Everyone in that room, and many others who could not attend, helped make the day what it was.

I just wanted to say a very big thank-you to Daisy. Although we had never met before, she was fantastic to work with. Apparently, there had been a rehearsal at 6.30pm which nobody told me about, although I was later informed that someone had kindly stood in for me. 

I did think that was rather interesting and could not resist asking what exactly I had said. In all seriousness though, Daisy was brilliant. We seemed to bounce off each other naturally and she was quick with her responses throughout the evening. I think we both genuinely enjoyed presenting the awards and the lighthearted banter that came with it.

To everyone who gave their time, passion and commitment, thank you and congratulations.

However the Baton of Hope is not intended to be a single moment in time. Its purpose is to spark conversations and action that continue long after the baton has passed through a community. I am pleased to say that here in Torbay that momentum is continuing.

The Torbay Suicide Prevention Partnership is already building on the success of the relay with a number of important plans. These include creating safe spaces where people can connect and talk openly, using stories, art and film to raise awareness and understanding, supporting children and young people earlier through work with schools and families, strengthening links between organisations so that no one works alone, and helping community groups promote good mental health through training, awareness and small grants.

If you would like to relive the Baton of Hope visit to Torbay, or learn more about how the event came together, you can watch the video on our YouTube channel.

On a related note, yesterday marked National No Smoking Day, an annual reminder for smokers to consider taking the step towards quitting. Stopping smoking brings many health benefits and with the average packet of cigarettes now costing around £15 there are also significant financial savings to be made.

Recent health data shows that around twenty per cent of routine and manual workers in Torbay smoke, which is higher than the figure for the general population. Many people want to quit but understandably find it difficult.

That is why we have partnered with the Smoke Free app to support Torbay residents on their journey to stopping smoking by offering free premium access to many of the app’s features.

Once downloaded, the app provides access to a friendly team of advisers available twenty four hours a day, including bank holidays, ready to help when cravings strike. It also tracks the number of days you have been smoke free, the money you have saved and even the extra days you have added to your life.

People using the app can also choose to have a free vape or nicotine replacement therapy delivered directly to their door. There is also a reward scheme where you receive badges and prizes as you reach different milestones. If you would like to find out more, visit our public health smoking pages on the Torbay Council website and look for the Smoke Free app.