Here’s where you can come to railway stations in Southport and Formby as Sefton Charity Champion Alex Rigby takes on his daring challenge of Running The Full Merseyrail Network over the next two days.
Alex, who won the Sefton Charity Champion accolade at last year’s Grand Pride of Sefton Awards, will begin his 105-mile run between all 69 railway Merseyrail stations at Chester Station at 3pm today (Friday 28th February 2025).
People are being urged to cheer him on as he runs from Southport Train Station at around 8.35am this Saturday before running past Birkdale (8.55am), Hillside (9.10am), Ainsdale (9.40am), Freshfield (10.30am), Formby (10.45am), Hightown (11.30am), and then on towards venues including Crosby, Waterloo, Bootle, Liverpool Central, Aigburth, and finishing at Hunts Cross at around 6.10pm.
You can donate via Alex Rugby’s fundraising page here.
So far he has raised an astonishing £33,000 for the Centre 56 charity that supports victims of domestic violence.
Alex Rigby said: “I just want to say a final thank you to every single person who has helped support this challenge, from joining in training runs, sharing content, donating, shaking buckets and even running or walking today and tomorrow.
“This has been a team effort and more than just a run, it is a community coming together for a special charity Centre 56
“There is still time to donate and we are very close to our original target and I haven’t even started yet which is unbelievable but if you would like to donate, the link is just below!”
You can donate via Alex Rugby’s fundraising page here.
Alex said: “I am hoping to finish Saturday 1st of March at Hunts cross station and celebrate in the Waiting Room pub next door all being well.
“Thank you so much once again Merseyrail for the ongoing support over the past 14 months.
“To all the relay representatives who are planning on running big miles, thank you!
“Now let’s start the conversation around domestic violence and show that it’s not acceptable in any society!”
Alex hopes to raise £35,000 by doubling the distance of his previous challenge route.
As one of Merseyrail’s four chosen charities for the year, the team are delighted to have Merseyrail backing the challenge.
Merseyrail’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Greg Suligowski said:
“We are really pleased to welcome Alex back to the Merseyrail network for his biggest and toughest challenge yet. The whole team will be cheering him on as he runs the entire length of our network, raising funds for the vital work Centre 56 does in the communities we serve.”
Centre 56 has been a place of safety and hope for families in Kirkdale for more than 50 years. The charity provides specialist nursery care for children aged 2-12 years who have experienced domestic abuse or crisis situations.
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Do you need advertising, PR or media support? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
