A writer walking 4,200km over 10 months across the UK and Ireland for mental health charities has been welcomed to Lancaster.
Jonathan Kemp arrived in the city centre on Saturday while on his incredible 'Finding Peace of Mind Walk'.
On January 1, Jonathan embarked on a 10-month journey across the UK and Ireland to raise money for four mental health charities (SAMH, Mind, Aware NI, Aware) and to spark open conversation about mental health.
He set out from the Shetland Islands to Galway, Ireland via Scotland, England and Wales/
"Along the way, Jonathan is sharing his lived experiences, strength and hope of bipolar disorder, depression, addiction and dyslexia," said a spokesperson for Lancaster Area Police, while posting a photo of officers with Jonathan at Lancaster Castle.
"His walk is about connection, honesty and courage.
"If you see him around, He’d love to have a chat with you."
Jonathan is the author of 'Finding Peace of Mind' - a book sharing lived experience, insight and hope for anyone navigating mental health or neurodiversity.
He posted on Instagram that Lancaster was day 115 of his amazing 296-day trek.
"By about 11 o’clock, I was feeling not too great, and exhausted, so I headed back to my room and slept for a couple of hours. I think the exertion of the last few weeks caught up with me," he posted on his @jonathankemplondon Instagram page.
"In the afternoon, it was arranged for me to meet some PCSO officers (Police Community Support Officers) from Lancashire Police - it is interesting talking about police work, and the basics do not seem to have changed since my service in the Met Police in the 1980s. I do think police officers now a random much more pressure because of social media and the constant filming of everything that is being done.
"They asked me if I thought my time in the police had an impact on my mental health. I said looking back with fresh eyes, being in the police actually helped me a great deal, I trained with a great group of people, made good friends who are still friends today, and had some amazing experiences. I know that community is really important for mental well-being.
"What I did not realise until much later, was the routine, structure, and clear purpose and objectives helped to give me a framework for day-to-day living. it was only many years later during Covid that I realised how crucial these elements are for my own mental well-being.
"Even on this walk, I try to put a routine in place, give myself some set of objectives every day, and break my day down into manageable chunks-all of which make a real difference."
The previous day, Jonathan had walked 17.6 miles from Arnside to Lancaster.
His donation page can be found HERE.
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