Cumbrian firms urged to back 'Just One Pound' appeal to support suicide survivors
A sister whose brother took his own life is leading a bid to raise awareness of suicide by putting Cumbria at the heart of a national Baton of Hope campaign.
Now a group of Cumbrian businesses giving their support to the campaign are asking fellow firms to back an appeal by inviting all their employees to each donate 'Just One Pound' to the cause.
Lisa Birdsall and her brother Stephen in 2012 (Image: Baton of Hope)
Ken Johnston, Business Liaison Manager at Forth which has bases at Flimby, Cleator Moor and Barrow, and fellow members of the Cumbria Baton of Hope committee, came up with the 'Just One Pound' appeal to help people make a small donation even when times are tough.
Mr Johnston said: "By encouraging businesses across Cumbria to ask their employees if they would donate 'Just One Pound', we are hoping that it will not only enable a greater number of people to donate, but also to acknowledge that suicide is an issue that we should all come together across the county to address.
'Whatever our background, wherever in the county we live and work, many of us know someone affected by suicide. If we are to truly tackle mental health and suicide issues in Cumbria it needs us all to unite and find better ways to help.'
Lisa's husband Jonny Birdsall's campaign image (Image: Baton of Hope)
Lisa Birdsall, whose brother Stephen took his own life, said: "In Cumbria we have some of the worst statistics on suicide in the UK - Cumbria's overall statistics on suicide are 55 per cent above the national average.
"The former Copeland area has the highest suicide rate per capita in the UK. Carlisle is second.
Ken Johnston's AI campaign image (Image: Baton of Hope)
"Men account for 75 per cent of suicides.
"But females outnumber men by more than half in terms of suicide attempts."
She added: 'When it comes to talking about suicide we often focus on the despair.
"We need to turn the message around because the golden thread binding us all together through this is hope. I want us to show what there is out there to help people.
Lisa Birdsall, husband Jonny, and Baton of Hope founder Mike McCarthy on the Baton of Hope tour in Gateshead in 2023 (Image: Baton of Hope)
'We are raising the profile of the need to talk. To be preventative we need to be open and honest about mental health discussions.
'There are a lot of suicide charities, but we can be siloed. The Baton of Hope is designed to bring all of us together and make us a stronger force for change.'
Ms Birdsall is determined to change the narrative around suicide, focusing on hope rather than despair.
Ken Johnston (left) and Lisa's husband Jonny Birdsall pictured at a campaign mural created by Cumbrian-based artists Beardy and Twiggy at Strand Street, in Whitehaven to promote the appeal (Image: Baton of Hope)
The campaign is part of the national Baton of Hope initiative, which aims to unite suicide charities and organisations to create a stronger force for change.
The Baton of Hope will be hosted in Cumbria on September 7, with more than 80 baton holders, including suicide survivors and families, forming a relay through the county.
The event is supported by a range of businesses providing funding and logistical support.
Graham Cartwright, projects director at Forth, said: "We know how prevalent suicide is in Cumbria and we know how devastating it is for everyone concerned, for all families and friends, and we absolutely know that more needs to be done to help those who are in a dark place and who feel, for whatever reason, that there is no other way out.
"We have been only too glad to give our support to Lisa and Jonny to help make the Baton of Hope coming to Cumbria a turning point for mental health support in the county."
Campaign QR Code (Image: Baton of Hope)
A campaign mural has been created by artists Beardy and Twiggy, who are based in Cumbria, on Strand Street in Whitehaven to support the appeal.
The Baton of Hope Cumbria event has received backing from partners including the Decommissioning Alliance (TDA), as well as a range of businesses, organisations, charities and venues.
Those offering their support include Forth, Sellafield Ltd, Goodlives, Whitehaven RL, the Beacon, schools from the area, Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, Irvings Coaches, Penrith Young Farmers, Carlisle United FC, the new fire station in Carlisle, Andy Man's Club, the NHS, first responders, Carlisle Castle and English Heritage.
The Baton of Hope charity was founded in 2022 by two dads, Mike McCarthy and Steve Phillip, who both lost family members to suicide.
Mr McCarthy wanted to ensure that the legacy of his son Ross' death would be to change the landscape of mental health services in the UK.
The Baton of Hope is due to set off from Leconfield, Cleator Moor, in the early morning of September 7, starting at Forth's offices and Sellafield Ltd's Engineering Centre of Excellence.
It will stop at the Goodlives project at Westlakes Science Park, before moving onto Whitehaven.
It will then travel to Bassenthwaite Lake, Penrith, and onto Carlisle.
A website has been created where more information can be found about the Cumbrian leg of the tour www.batonofhopecumbria.co.uk.
To donate to Cumbria's 'Just One Pound' appeal visit: www.gofundme.com/f/baton-of-hope-cumbria-tour.
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