‘There is help’ - Sheffield Wednesday’s Will Vaulks opens up on emotional cause before Hillsborough event

The Baton of Hope, on day four of its 12-day UK city tour, will make its way around Sheffield on Wednesday, the baton symbolising a growing movement of hope that aspires to one day create a zero-suicide society, and Vaulks - as an ambassador - will carry it from Hillsborough across the way to Hillsborough Park.

For Vaulks and his family it’s a cause that is sadly close to home, the midfielder having lost both of his grandads to suicide as a teenager, and he says that it is an honour for him to be involved in the initiative begun by Mike McCarthy and Steve Phillips in honour of their sons, Ross and Jordan.

Speaking to the club’s official website, Vaulks explained, “I’m here to support the Baton of Hope which is an initiative started by Mike McCarthy, who lost his son Ross to suicide… Basically, it’s to spread awareness of people who have lost family members to suicide, and I have got personal experiences of that.

“I lost both my grandads to suicide within the space of 15 months, when I was 13 and then again when I was 15, so I just thought let’s use the platform I have, however big or small, to try and help this cause which is all about preventing people from taking their own lives.

“It was through the Talk Club event that Mike put on at the club. I was asked if I would go along, and I really enjoyed it. After five minutes of speaking to Mike, he mentioned to me why he was part of Talk Club - because he lost his son Ross to suicide.

“At that point I kind of said, ‘Oh, well I actually lost both of my grandads to suicide.’ We got talking and he was just starting up the Baton of Hope and I feel very honoured to be asked to carry it on Wednesday for the walk.

“For my family, for me, it’s going to be very emotional and I think it’s right that I step up and do it and try and show people that no matter who you may be, we all have our own struggles in our families.”

The tour will pass through Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Sheffield, Manchester, Belfast, Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Brighton and London as they look to spread their message across the country, and Vaulks says that he wants people to know that help is available.

“This whole cause is to try and prevent people from taking their own lives,” he said. “And prevent families like mine from going through such really hard, dark and traumatic times… It’s what suicide does to families, it’s like a bomb goes off and we had two bombs go off within two years.

“I want people to realise there is help out there; I wish we could go back in time and help both my grandads because we don’t believe that help was there at the time but now, it is there a lot more.

“My grandads are loved by people in our family and I am sure there are people out there feeling low now but they will 100% be loved by people in the world and we are here to support.

“It’s an honour that I start the whole day for the Sheffield leg! It’s going to be emotional but it’s tragic how many families are in the same situation as we are.

“I know my parents are proud and I’d like to think my grandads would be proud too that I’m carrying it in their memory. I wish I wasn’t carrying it in their memory of course, I wish they were watching me play here but that’s not the case… For me, carrying the baton, if it means someone will get to keep their son, dad, grandad, any family member for a bit longer, then that is the whole aim.”