Walking 126 miles for charity
Posted on Jul 13, 2023Bus driver turned instructor, Neil Atherton, is set to walk more than 126 miles to raise money for Trussell Trust.
Neil, nicknamed The Bus Walker, has raised more than £11,000 for the food bank charity by walking popular bus routes. After walking 260 miles of Merseyside’s bus routes over the past 2 years, Neil is embarking on his latest fundraising walk along major bus routes.
In recognition of his work, Neil was invited to Downing Street and was even submitted for King Charles’ first New Years Honours List. Neil has since been award a British Empire Medal for her services to public transport and the community of Liverpool and Widnes. Well done, Neil!
The Bus Walker is tying up his laces again for one last time and walking popular Arriva bus routes across England – starting in the Northeast and finishing with a grand finale in Trafalgar Square, London. Neil has certainly set himself a challenge by walking the 126 miles in just 7 days!
“In my job, I speak to people who are struggling to make ends meet and I know many of them rely on food banks to feed themselves and their families. I’m determined to do my little part to make sure people have the food they need.”
Neil will be walking the following routes to clock up his impressive 126 miles:
- Sunday, July 9: the 12X route from Durham to Newcastle-upon-Tyne – 16 miles
- Monday, July 10: the 110 route from Wakefield to Leeds – 12 miles
- Tuesday, July 11: the 82A route from Runcorn to Liverpool – 28 miles
- Wednesday, July 12: the 5 route from Wrexham to Llangollen – 14 miles
- Thursday, July 13: the 1 route from Telford to Sutton Hill – 16 miles
- Friday, July 14: the 302 route from Hemel Hempstead to Welwyn Garden City – 20 miles
- Saturday, July 15: the 29 route from Wood Green to Trafalgar Square – 11 miles
If you live close by, why not pop down to your Arriva depot and support Neil!
When we met Neil
We have recently sponsored Neil on the quest to ease food poverty throughout the UK. Members are at the heart of everything we do, and the cost-of-living crisis is putting more of us under financial strain, so we are proud to be able to support Neil in his venture across England.
Andrea, part of our Business Development Team, met Neil at her local Arriva Bus depot to wish Neil well on the 5th day of his final challenge. It was inspiring to watch Neil being interviewed by BBC Radio Shropshire and then wave him off as he started his 16 mile walk to Sutton Hill.
We want to hear from you!
Are you taking on a challenge for charity? We want to hear from you! If you are taking part in an upcoming fundraiser, get in touch so we can help spread the word!
We recently sponsored The A Team Bootcamp from Arriva’s Runcorn depot on their climb up Ben Nevis. The A Team Bootcamp aim to improve their health and wellbeing through a series of walks and cycles, and we are proud to have been a part of the journey.
Congratulations to Neil and his colleagues joining him over the next week. We’re looking forward to seeing how you get on!
Are you inspired by Neil’s journey? You can sponsor him here.