A former boxer and community worker who live-streamed his own death on Facebook had dedicated his life to serving others and worked to rid the streets of a terrible drug.
Mental health campaigner Baz Bailey devastated followers when he announced he intended to take his own life, before launching a broadcast on Facebook on Saturday.
StokeonTrentLive reports how Baz, from Chesterton, was 'a huge hulk of man with a skinhead and tattoos'.
He had a reputation as a tough fighter with a steely determination, but away from the gym was a gentle giant on a mission to make the world a better place.
A regular in the pages of the news site's sister paper, The Sentinel, Baz was known to dedicate his life to supporting others.
One of his most recent missions was his most personal. He wanted to rid the streets of North Staffordshire from the scourge of the drug monkey dust.
Baz had seen first hand the dreadful effects, when his son Rio Bailey went down a dark path after experimenting with the psychoactive drug.
It was this that spurred him to set up a Facebook group - Time for Action - in 2018 to demand monkey dust be reclassified as a class A drug in line with cocaine and heroin.
He even featured in the award-winning film Stoke-on-Dust to show the true scale of the monkey dust problem.
Speaking at the time, Baz said: "I’ve watched monkey dust explode in the city. I’ve heard about the children of users taking it to sell at school, and a 10-year-old being offered it for free in the park.
“I thought someone needs to stand up and do something. I’m setting different groups up, like one for parents and siblings of users.
"I want to see a rehab facility back in this area. We are the capital for monkey dust use in the country - clearly we need it.
“We formed Time for Action and the original plan was to go out and speak to the dealers, but we realised that wouldn’t be effective - we don’t want any violence or anyone breaking the law.
“I 100 per cent believe the drug should be reclassified because it is something that can take over someone. We want to send a message to these dealers that the community won’t just lie down and take what they’re doing.”
Speaking about Rio's battle, Baz added: "At one stage he would be okay, then just go missing for a fortnight.
“When I’ve seen Rio coming off it, it’s so intense. He will get really down, he’s massively paranoid, he will get angry and agitated. It’s so many emotions.
“It’s heartbreaking to see my son, who’s so loving and kind, be affected by it. It’s changed him.”
Baz's incredible skills and tough talking as a trainer even saw him mould Eddie Hall on his path to becoming the World's Strongest Man.
Sadly for all who knew him - and many thousands across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire who didn't - Baz felt unable to carry on.
The dad-of-four had just turned 50 when he died.
StokeonTrentLive reports that, while the tragic circumstances of his death will no doubt haunt the memories of those who loved him most, Baz will be best remembered for the incredible work he did to help those in need.
From those in mental crisis, the homeless, poverty-stricken families and drug addicts, Baz was said to never judge.
His community work led to him being a finalist in The Sentinel's Our Heroes awards.
Other causes to have benefited from Baz's dedication include Headway, the Alice Charity, the Macari Centre and Brighter Futures.
At his gym - Ultimate Fitness Centre in Chesterton - Baz would undertake incredible feats of strength and endurance to raise money for worth causes.
One fundraiser saw him row from Ramsgate to Belgium to support Papyrus (Prevention of Young Suicide) and Alzheimer’s charities.
And another saw him attempt a new world record for most weight squatted in one hour in aid of the Alzheimer's Society.
He also helped set up Chris Edwards Academy Community Gym - in memory of the Potteries boxing legend - to help tackle gangs, crime and depression.
Baz said: “I want to have circuit training, yoga and meditation classes.
“We want to make it as multi-functional as possible. I want to have group counselling sessions, sessions for people with low self-esteem and depression – to make it a well-being centre.
"We want to reach out to as many people in the community as possible.”
Asked why he spends so much time helping others, Baz replied: "I am richer in my heart. It just feels good to help others."
It's just awful that Baz couldn't see himself what a better place the world was with him in it.
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