A church in Rhos y Medre will be open as a quiet space to support the Wrexham leg of the Baton of Hope Tour, the UK’s biggest suicide prevention initiative.

Another church, St Mary’s in Chirk, will be ringing its church bells as the first baton carrier sets off from the village as the tour begins on Saturday 4 October, passing through communities in Wrexham and ending in the city centre around 5pm.

St John’s Church in Rhos y Medre (LL14 3EA) will be open from 10.30am – 12.30pm and has been designated a calm, welcoming place with refreshments and a friendly face if anyone would like to rest awhile.

St Mary’s Church in Chirk, will be supporting the tour by ringing the church bells. A team from the church will be attempting a quarter peal as the baton sets off around Chirk. They aim to start ringing at 8.50am and should be ringing for about 45 minutes – roughly the time the baton is in Chirk.

Both St Mary’s Church and St John’s Church are part of the Diocese of St Asaph and its Engagement Officer, Sarah Wheat, will be attending the event. She said: “I am delighted that our churches are playing their part in supporting this important tour to make suicide prevention a national priority.

“The bells of St Mary’s in Chirk will be an audible reminder of the church’s support for this tour and a call for the community to support the tour.

“St John’s is a perfect place of calm and welcome. The church is set in its own grounds close to the route from Trevor to Cefn Mawr and people can take a moment to pause and reflect.

“As a church we’re doing our part to highlight the importance of good Mental health and run regular Mental Health First Aid Programmes to raise awareness and train our priests and lay workers in suicide prevention.”

Wrexham-based charity, Advanced Brighter Futures (ABF), is the lead charity partner for the Baton of Hope Tour in Wales. The Baton of Hope is the world’s first physical symbol of mental wellbeing – a striking and beautifully crafted baton that’s passed from person to person, carrying with it powerful stories of loss, survival, and hope. It was designed and donated by Thomas Lyte – the same world-renowned makers behind the FA Cup and other iconic sporting trophies.

Baton of Hope UK was founded by two parents who lost their sons to suicide and wanted to turn pain into purpose. Their aim was simple but bold: to get the whole country talking about suicide, to challenge the stigma, and to make prevention a national priority. The Baton is now at the heart of a growing movement – helping to start conversations, raise awareness, and bring hope into communities across the UK.

St John’s Church in Rhos y Medre and St Mary’s Church in Chirk are part of the Offa Mission Area, a group of churches which work together to serve their local communities. Offa Mission Area is part of the Diocese of St Asaph, one of the six dioceses of the Church in Wales, an autonomous Province of the Worldwide Anglican Communion.

You can find out more about the Baton of Hope Tour in Wrexham at Baton of Hope – Wrexham and at www.batonofhopeuk.org