Train ticket office worker's on the rails for charity challengeA railway ticket office worker from Finchampstead is getting out of his booth and hopping aboard the trains to travel an entire railway network for charity.
Ollie Evans, from Finchampstead, will spend five days travelling the First Great Western Network to raise money for children^s respite charity CHICKS and Save the Children.
The 23-year-old, who works in the ticket office at London Paddington station, will travel to Penzance, Swansea, Weymouth and Brighton in five days ^ if the trains are running on time.
He said: ^The plan is to do it in the space of five days but I have allowed for six in case anything goes wrong.
^It will go from Paddington to Carmarthen and we have one train which goes to Brighton so I^ll be doing that as well.^
On the first day of the trip Mr Evans will be making 18 changes as he travels down to Exeter, Plymouth and across to Truro and Falmouth.
Day two will see him ride the railways to Wales before he heads back to the South through Bristol and Bath on day three.
The train enthusiast will be making stopovers in Penzance and Swansea on two nights, but is hoping to make it back to his bed in Wokingham on most days.
He said: ^There are some late finishes but that^s to be expected.
^It^s only a couple of nights I^ll need to stay away ^ most of the time I^ll be coming home.
^m hoping the trains will all be on time. It will be disappointing if they aren^t but I^m staying positive.^
Mr Evans will be taking his laptop and mobile to keep him company during the journey but has also been promised company by friends for some of the journey.
He said: ^ll have my laptop and phone to make the time go by.
^Some of the routes are quite long journeys and it could be quite tedious but it^s all for a good cause.^
The ticket officer is hoping to raise ^1,000 for CHICKS and Save the Children, which is supported by First Great Western.
He said: ^CHICKS do respite breaks for children who otherwise wouldn^t get a break.
^They^ve got a base down in Cornwall and Devon and I did some volunteering with them so I have first-hand experience of the work they do.
^And First Great Western does a lot of work with Save the Children.^
The train operator has given its backing to the challenge by waiving the train fares and helping with accommodation costs.
The company has also donated ^250 to get the fundraising off to a flying start.
Mr Evans will be setting off from Wokingham station at 6.50am on Monday, March 5, and is hoping to pull in to his final station, Twyford, at 7.38pm on Friday, March 9.
To sponsor Ollie visit
www.justgiving.com/teams/fgwollie.
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