2,500 mile charity walk ends at Tower Bridge

One man and his dog completed their 2,500 mile charity walk at Tower Bridge on Sunday (June 10), eight months after setting out on the expedition.

Stuart Jessup, 54, has raised more than �10,000 for mental health charities SANE and Anxiety UK over the course of his walk around the UK’s coastline, which he undertook with his springer spaniel, Poppy.

Mr Jessup has suffered from chronic depression for decades, and used the walk as an opportunity to raise both money and awareness of mental health issues. He took stops along the route to give talks to mental health and other groups about coping with mental health problems, which affect as many as one in four people as some stage in their lives.

He believes that the expedition has had a positive impact on his own mental health, as well as fulfilling his aims of raising money for charities.

“In the past, my illness has left me feeling overwhelmed. You want to be left alone and have some peace. Walking by myself has provided that, and having a target for the trek helps me overcome the ‘why bother?’ attitude so characteristic of depression,” he said.

SANE’s chief executive Marjorie Wallace praised Mr Jessops efforts, and welcomed his emphasis on trying to raise awareness of mental health problems.

She said: “Stuart’s walk is a remarkable achievement, not just because of the enormous effort it took and show of unstinting dedication, but for the message he gives out for others.”