Ben prepared to hold the baton

MAN v FAT Maidenhead member Ben George can be hitting the streets quickly as a part of the Baton of Hope UK Tour 25.

Ben, who has been part of the Maidenhead membership since 2023 has been chosen to be a Baton Bearer for the Baton of Hope UK Tour 25, which is about to be the largest suicide prevention initiative that the UK has ever seen.

The Baton of Hope UK are a part of a rising motion aspiring to a zero-suicide society and can merely not tolerate greater than 6,000 suicide deaths per 12 months within the UK (as at the moment) when most suicides are preventable.

They’ve a imaginative and prescient of a society the place suicide and suicide prevention are brazenly and broadly mentioned, encourage hope by way of motion, the place persons are suitably supported, and the place everybody performs their half in realising this imaginative and prescient.

In 2025, The Baton of Hope can be touring to twenty places throughout the UK, being handed from individual to individual, all affected by suicide in a method or one other.

Ben advised us: “I can be a kind of folks carrying the Baton, and I can be doing so in Basingstoke on the twenty fifth of September. To ensure that the charity to proceed its very important work in supporting suicide prevention, they should increase cash and as a Baton Bearer, I’m elevating funds to help their mission.

“I got here throughout the Baton of Hope in a information article which mentioned they have been recruiting for volunteers to grow to be baton bearers for the 2025 tour over varied components of the nation. I learn their web page and what they have been about and due to my very own experiences I immediately needed to be concerned.

“I imagine that each member of our group ought to have entry to the suitable help on the proper time, suicide is the largest killer of males underneath 50 and girls underneath 35. Along with your assist and help, we will break the stigma round suicide and save extra lives.”

As Ben mentions, his curiosity within the Baton of Hope Tour comes from a really private perspective and he’s eager to get out and do his bit in Basingstoke.

He added: “My connection to the charity is extremely private. The charity is aiming to attain a suicide free society and to encourage folks to speak and rid free folks from the stigma of speaking about suicide.

“All through my grownup life I’ve struggled my psychological well being to various levels. These struggles have sadly led me to aim to finish my very own life on two events. Throughout these occasions I grew to become more and more withdrawn from the family members in my life, and crucially I ended speaking about my ideas and the way I used to be feeling. Which is why it’s so essential we encourage folks to speak about suicide.

“The ache that I felt at the moment and the ache I dropped at these round me isn’t one thing I ever want for anyone to need to undergo. Because of this I’m so proud to be part of the Baton of Hope Tour 2025.”

Ben will tackle his leg of the tour with the complete backing of his MAN v FAT Maidenhead membership mates, who’ve been very supportive throughout his two 12 months stint with the membership.

And he’s vastly appreciative of the blokes he shares his weekly periods with.

He mentioned: “Being part of MAN v FAT has been an enormous help for my psychological well being. I’ve at all times struggled with self-worth, self perception and self doubt and never as soon as at MAN v FAT have I felt judged, ridiculed or criticised.

“I’ve had nothing however help from day one, beginning with the Ciaran the coach at first weigh in on the day of becoming a member of proper right down to the gamers, all people has been nice and I can not thank them sufficient.

“If ever there’s a dangerous week on the scales or the pitch there’s at all times an encouraging phrase from a number of folks about the way it doesn’t matter and they’re at all times fast to level out the nice you probably did, they by no means deal with the dangerous.

“Extra importantly at these occasions when the psychological well being struggles are there that’s when it actually counts. The messages of help are nonetheless there, even the occasional non-public message to supply a chat away from the group if it’s wanted to supply some further help. It’s truthfully incredible and becoming a member of MAN v FAT is among the greatest issues I’ve ever executed.”

You’ll be able to donate to Ben’s fundraising right here – we want him effectively together with his efforts!