Mansfield man vows to keep Dad's 'legacy alive' by helping the community

Daniel Kerley lost his then 55-year-old father, Peter Kerley, to lung cancer in 2014, which led to him starting a Facebook support group called #DanielsJourney.

Daniel, aged 39, said the group, which now has more than 9,000 members, helps him support and empower people experiencing difficult times.

He said: “The group has a focus on empowerment and encouraging people to open up.

“When Dad died, I really struggled with my mental health and severe depression and I’d basically given up on life.

“I couldn’t see how I could live without him and the intense emotional pain.

“But three months after losing him, I finally decided to reach out and get help by talking to a counsellor.

“Now, seven years on, I’m in a really good place trying to help other people talk about their own mental health.

“I’ve made it my purpose in life to keep Dad’s legacy alive by helping others dealt a bad card in life and to make talking about mental health normal and eradicate the stigma associated with it.

“Remember it’s okay to not be okay, if you’re feeling down please speak up, because there’s a lot of people who love you that are willing to listen.

“I was at rock bottom and wanted to shut myself away when I lost Dad. I couldn’t see a way forward and I’d lost hope, but I got help and now I want to use my experiences of the dark times to shine a light on others, because life is short.”

He urged people to try to help others.

Daniel, who is from Mansfield, but now lives in Retford, said: “If you can make a positive impact on just one person a day, the world will be a better place.

“Practice self care, listen to others, talk, check in on people.

“I’m a massive advocate for random acts of kindness.

“Any chance I get, I do something for someone else, like buy the person behind me a coffee in Starbucks, because that one act of kindness could be the reason that person smiles and doesn’t give up hope.”