A charity walk organised by Nexus in memory of a much-loved colleague has raised £1,800 for Great North Air Ambulance Service.
Wayne Monaghan worked for Nexus as a Track Inspection and Testing Production Supervisor, and he passed away in July 2023.
Wayne, age 53, was a passionate and enthusiastic fundraiser and wellbeing advocate, and he ran Nexus’ wellbeing walks, taking groups of employees out walking.
While leading a Wellbeing Walk in the Lake District, Wayne became unwell and, despite Cockermouth and Wasdale Mountain Rescue Teams and the Great North Air Ambulance Service responding quickly to emergency calls, he died at the scene.
Nexus Infrastructure Director, Stuart Clarke, said: “Wayne worked for us for 12 years, and we were all devasted when he died. He was a professional, hardworking, and committed colleague, but equally he was well known for his fundraising activities and encouraging us all to be more active.”
“His wellbeing walks and other activities have raised thousands for local charities over the years, and on the day before he died, he won an award for his commitment to fundraising at our employee awards ceremony. He is missed by many at Nexus, but we were determined to honour his memory with a walk to raise more money for the Great North Air Ambulance Service.”
In October, over 100 Nexus employees and members of Wayne’s family, including his wife Lynda and son Ross, took part in a walk from South Shields to Seaburn, in Wayne’s memory.
Lynda and her family were also gifted a bespoke railway style plaque, bearing Wayne’s nickname, Monty.
Participants raised £1,300 on the day and £500 was match funded by Lloyds Bank, thanks to a former Nexus employee, Lisa Bell, who now works for them.
Lisa said: “I still have friends at Nexus and had taken part in Wayne’s walks previously. Lloyds Bank have a charity fund which encourages employees to get involved in charitable activities and offers match funding. My husband and I took part in the walk, which was a great way to remember Wayne.”
Nexus employees choose a corporate charity of the year every year, and in 2022-23, they chose Great North Air Ambulance Service, raising £5500 for the charity.
Amanda Simmister, Community Fundraiser at Great North Air Ambulance Service said: “Nexus did a brilliant job in their fundraising for us when we were their corporate charity of the year, and Wayne was a key part of that. We met him at a cheque presentation in 2023 and he was such a nice man, so we were sorry to hear about what happened.”
“The walk was a great tribute to him by his colleagues and family, and we are so grateful for the support for the Great North Air Ambulance Service.”