The Baton of Hope, a UK suicide prevention initiative and charity, made an appearance at the TT this week.

As well as being a charity, the Baton of Hope is a physical item, which aims to be a symbol for those who are going through suicide bereavement or struggling with mental health.

At the startline of the Supersport race on Wednesday, co-founder of the charity, Mike McCarthy passed the Baton of Hope on to rider James Hillier.

The Baton of Hope was then on display for the rest of the day at the TT fan park in Noble’s Park.

The aim of the event was to raise awareness around suicide.

Mr Hillier said: ‘The TT has a significant male following and the work the Baton of Hope charity is doing to promote men’s mental health is incredibly important.’

Mike McCarthy, co-founder of the Baton of Hope, said: ‘The Isle of Man TT’s bid to host the baton was warm and enthusiastic and once we had listened to the people behind it we knew immediately that we had to add the island to our route.’

The Baton of Hope will continue touring the UK in a bid to raise awareness on the matter.