A team from Network Rail’s Wales and Borders route has completed the first stage of a mammoth 303-mile trek from North to South Wales to raise funds for Samaritans.
‘Hike on Offa’s Dyke’ will see a rotating cast of Network Rail employees, friends and members of Wales and Borders’ ‘railway family’ complete 21 stages in a relay format up until Wednesday 14 August.
Members of the Network Rail Wales and Borders team on stage one of the 2024 Hike on Offa’s Dyke charity walk for Samaritans
Having kicked off in Llandudno yesterday (Wednesday 17 July), with the first group walking to Colwyn Bay, the walk will conclude at Network Rail’s Baglan Depot in Port Talbot.
While the walkers will vary from day to day, one constant will be the team’s mascot Samariad (Welsh for Samaritan), or Sam for short, who will be there every step of the way.
The walk continues today, between Colwyn Bay and Prestatyn, with tomorrow’s stage starting in Prestatyn and ending at Bodfari.
Emma Osborn, Network Rail Wales and Borders passenger strategy director, who is leading the first two stages of the walk, said: “We’ve made a fantastic start to the railway family’s Hike on Offa’s Dyke.
“We made some new friends, caught some sunshine, enjoyed ice cream, coffees, and a bacon bap, and walked our socks off – quite literally, as we couldn’t resist ending the day with our toes in the sand at Colwyn Bay.
“As well as the usual dogs and seagulls, we saw seals, jellyfish, donkeys, horses, sheep, goats, a heron, and at the very end, a parrot! Roll on day two of the adventure and raising some more money for a wonderful cause.”
Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This walk is a chance for us to get ‘out of the office’, into nature, meet colleagues we may not already know, enjoy ourselves and raise cash for the vital work of the Samaritans.
“So even if you can’t join us on the route, you can help us reach our goals by contributing via our JustGiving page.”
Samaritans is available round the clock, every single day of the year, providing a safe place for anyone struggling to cope, whoever they are, however they feel, whatever life has done to them. For more information, please visit www.samaritans.org
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