Mike McCarthy, Baton of Hope: 'If suicide is preventable... why are we not preventing it?'

The Starting Line with Rich Leigh

- Content warning: suicide -

For the first time this series, we're going to put a content warning. In this episode, we talk about suicide, grief and loss, and if that's not for you, that's entirely understandable.

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Suicide is the biggest cause of death of people under the age of 35. 4x the number of people die by suicide than in road accidents every year.

In this episode, we speak to Mike McCarthy, the co-founder of the Baton Of Hope UK, the biggest suicide awareness and prevention initiative the UK's ever seen.

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Mike lost his son Ross to suicide.

Ross had left a farewell letter to Mike to campaign for better mental health support. He was 2 weeks into a 6 month waiting list for mental health support.

After meeting with Steve Phillip, who also had lost his son Jordan to suicide, the pair came up with the idea of an Olympic-style relay tour that could create a national conversation.

The ‘Baton of Hope’ started from Glasgow on the 25 June 2023, before finishing in London at 10 Downing Street, where Mike was presented with a Points of Light award by Health Minister Maria Caulfield MP. The award recognises outstanding individual volunteers, and prompted support from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, among many others.

In this incredibly powerful, important episode, we discuss Mike's life as a journalist, the impact of losing Ross, the system as it stands, how and why Mike believes we need to work towards a zero suicide society - and much more.

Follow the Baton of Hope on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About The Starting Line Podcast

From a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.

At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.

By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.

Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.

Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.

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