A BUS driver is walking seven bus routes in seven days to highlight the impact the cost of living crisis is having on struggling families.
Neil Atherton, from Runcorn, has committed to the 105-mile challenge which will see him walk along bus routes in Cheshire and Merseyside this week.
Starting in Bootle on Sunday, October 23, he will trek through roads in Speke, Southport, Runcorn, Birkenhead, and Liverpool, before finishing in St Helens this Saturday.
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Aware of the anguish parents are facing this winter with rising bills, Neil decided to go ahead with the challenge after hearing of a friend who stopped putting the heating on despite suffering from cancer.
Despite describing himself as a "fat lad from Runcorn", he will walk around 15 miles a day for the Trussell Trust; which will help to provide items in food banks across the country.
Concerned about the rate of homelessness during the current crisis, the Arriva driver is also raising money for the Whitechapel Centre to help with rough sleeping and those at risk of homelessness.
Neil, 43, said: "I did a similar walking challenge in 2020 along Runcorn bus routes, to help people who were struggling and may have lost jobs.
"But with the current crisis and hearing people worried about paying for food or heating their homes, I've spread the challenge across Cheshire and Merseyside to reach more people and raise as much money as possible."
With Neil three days into his week-long challenge, he has been able to spread his message across the region as people have shared his appeal and joined him on his travels.
A bus driver of 22 years, he wants to build on this throughout the week and give something back to the communities he has served throughout his career.
He added: "I've loved being a bus driver and I feel very fortunate to support people in this way.
"I know people are struggling at the moment but I hope this is a way that the wider community can come together and help people through it.
"I'm just a fat lad from Runcorn and sometimes I think I don't know how the hell I'm going to finish the challenge.
"But I'm also very stubborn so I will push on to make sure I raise as much money as I can for struggling families, and I will finish it, there's no doubt about that."
To support Neil's seven-day challenge, you can donate to his fundraising page for the Trussel Trust here and the Whitechapel Centre here.
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