We advance British pilgrimage as a form of cultural heritage that promotes holistic wellbeing, for the benefit of all

Broughton Sanctuary, now the UK’s leading Retreat Centre, has been Roger Tempest’s family home for 32 generations and over 900 years of history resting on his shoulders he has only one mission in life: to secure its future. Anyone who thinks living in a historic home is glamorous is sorely mistaken – Roger grew up with no heating, damp rooms and run-down buildings. But even at a young age, he knew he wanted to save it.

In the late 1980s, aged 25, Roger unexpectedly took on the role of custodian, ending his blossoming career on Fleet Street. (He’d heard Eddy Shah talking about the launch of the Today newspaper and inspired by his desire to challenge the status quo had asked for a job, ending up as Assistant to the Managing Editor.) So instead of working long term to make a success of the paper, Roger found himself working to make a success of the Estate. Never one to follow the norm, he decided against opening to the general public and instead created a plan that blended conservation, enterprise and innovation to regenerate not just Broughton Hall but the community around it.

His appointments range from executive chairman of a national infrastructure development project in Libya, on a board of an international homeless charity to being a joint founder of Wyrd Experience, a company which develops consciousness technology, to running a group of companies within Rural Concepts Group specialising in rural regeneration.

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Tom Holland is an award-winning historian, author, broadcaster and co-presenter of the top 10 podcast, The Rest is History. He is the author of Millennium: The End of the World and the Forging of Christendom, a panoramic account of the two centuries on either side of the apocalyptic year 1000, Dominion, and the biography of Æthelstan, the first King of England and of Æthelflæd, England’s Forgotten Founder. Tom is the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Making History and  has written and presented a number of TV documentaries, for the BBC and Channel 4, on subjects ranging from ISIS to dinosaurs.

A life-long enthusiast of myths and ancient history, as well as a psychotherapist, the Duchess of Richmond is helping the BPT to fundraise and network in order to establish the Old Way route which passes near the Goodwood Estate, Chichester.

Emma runs the British ceramics manufacturer 'Emma Bridgewater', based in Stoke on Trent. In 2016, she was made President of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, a charity that was formed in 1926 to limit urban sprawl and ribbon development. She is also a keen supporter of church heritage conservation.

Rupert is a biologist and author of many popular books on modern science. He is known for asking the questions other scientists prefer to ignore, such as in his book The Science Delusion. Rupert’s latest pilgrimage experiments have focussed on the potential role of pilgrimage in the relationship between god-parents and god-children.

Robin is one of 90 elected hereditary Peers in the House of Lords, and a keen and regular pilgrim to Lourdes.

Simon served as editor of the Evening Standard from 1976 to 1978 and of The Times from 1990 to 1992, and chaired the National Trust from 2008 to 2014. He currently writes columns for both The Guardian and Evening Standard, and sits on the committee of the Churches Conservation Trust and English Churches and Cathedrals Sustainability Commission Review.

A former Director of the National Trust, Dame Fiona Reynolds is the Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and the Chair of the Cathedrals Commission. A noted campaigner and media figure, her recent book, The Fight For Beauty, traces the historical precedents for conservation by policymakers and poets alike - alongside ger own lifelong dedication to beautiful landscapes. During her tenure at the National Trust, Dame Fiona raised the charity's profile from 2.7 million to 5 million members.

Merlin’s recent work has focused on the symbiotic relationship between mycorrhizal fungi and plants, and how fungal networks may connect different plants together underground, culminating in the best-selling book Entangled Life. During his time working in tropical forests in Panama, he made many pilgrimages to find rare plants that connect to these fungal networks in unusual ways. He is also an accomplished accordionist, pianist and folk singer.