A MAN is taking on an extraordinary peace of mind walk across the UK and Ireland, sharing his story, raising awareness of mental health, and raising money for mental health charities.

Jonathan Kemp, Third Viscount Rochdale, started in the Shetland Islands on January 1 and planned out a route covering Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland.

The English route was the same that his great grandmother had travelled as a suffragist, marching from Carlisle to London over six weeks, in 1913.

He is currently on the Welsh route, and will finish in Ireland in October. Originally, Jonathan was due to walk through Chepstow from Bristol, but was invited for a talk in Newport Library, which altered his route.

Along his journey, he has been giving talks such as this in workplaces, schools, universities and community groups about his story of living with bipolar disorder, depression, addiction and dyslexia.

For the first 40 years of his life, Jonathan battled undiagnosed mental health conditions, and contemplated ending his life. He spent years trying to distance himself from family expectations, searching for a sense of wellbeing as a punk, a cowboy in Australia, a London bricklayer, a Metropolitan Police sergeant, and later an entrepreneur.

Whilst giving his talks, he wanted to share his journey from mental illness to a life of purpose and hope, normalising conversations about mental health, reducing stigma, and inspiring others to keep going, while raising money for four mental charities in the UK and Ireland; SAMH in Scotland, Mind in England and Wales, AWARE NI in Northern Ireland, and AWARE in the Republic of Ireland.

Jonathan said: “[The main message I want to get across is] there’s hope and to inspire people that it’s okay to talk about mental health and neurodiversity, and to inspire them that things can change.”

The peace of mind walk came after Johnathan released his book in 2025, Finding Peace of Mind, which is in part his memoirs and in part an analysis of what works and doesn’t work for mental health, which he has been told is an easy read and an inspiration.

Jonathan’s own experiences shaped much of what he speaks about in the book. He said: “For 20 years I tried to manage my mental health and neurodiversity myself unsuccessfully.

“During covid I had bipolar highs and crashes in quick succession, and by the end of it I was finished. Suicide ideation was 24/7 and in the end, I just lost the will to fight any longer. I realised at that point I was in serious trouble so I went to my doctor, who referred me to a psychiatrist who asked me to change medication.

“It was a rocky road which is not unusual, but five months later it was like a miracle. Walking down the street, feeling the sun on my face. It wasn’t an effort to live and breathe.”

Jonathan is giving away a free e-copy of his book to anybody, hoping his inspirational story reaches as many people as possible. You can get that by visiting https://linktr.ee/jonathankemplondon

You can also help Johnathan’s cause by following him on his journey via social media or donating to the mental health charities using his Go Fund Me page. Jonathan has raised nearly £13,000 so far but hopes to raise £80,000.