REMEMBERING JOHN MITCHINSON

24 R MT members from Wigan Wallgate station embarked on a gruelling challenge, walking 24 miles from Southport station back to Wigan to honour the memory of late colleague brother John Mitchinson who died tragically in 2016 after a short illness at the age of 53. John had no living family and died without a headstone or plaque erected in his memory. Therefore Wigan Wallgate RMT Solidarity fund decided it was only fitting to collect sponsorships to complete the walk and use the funding to purchase a wooden bench with John’s name inscribed to be placed at his place of work, Wigan Wallgate station where he’d spent all of his working life. John Mitchinson was a 35-year RMT member who was a regular attendee of Wigan branch. He was an extremely popular character and was well known by many around the railway in the North West. He used to regularly complete this walk from Southport to Wigan in aid of Wigan Hospice and it was the idea of Wigan Wallgate RMT Solidarity fund committee to revive the walk and rename it ‘the John Mitchinson memorial walk’ in order to fund a fitting memorial for our dearly departed brother. The Wigan Wallgate RMT Solidarity Fund was formed following the suspension of strike action against DOO on ARN. Wigan Wallgate RMT members formed a strike committee, visiting many trade union branches locally along with campaigning groups and political parties to raise awareness against DOO, build solidarity and seek donations towards the strike fund. Upon the suspension of action the strike committee took the decision to rename the fund Wigan Wallgate RMT Solidarity Fund and to continue campaigning locally to raise funding for local campaign groups within the labour movement in order to give some support back in exchange for the exemplary solidarity they gave us throughout our two years struggle. The fund has already made donations towards a local campaign group (WHAMM) Wigan heritage and mining monument which is raising funds to erect a mining statue in the town later this year to honour the towns mining history. The fund has also made donations towards the Shrewsbury24 campaign and the local Women against state pension inequality group with many more fundraisers to be organised over the next 12 months. MT members from Wigan Wa W llgate station embarked on a gruelling challenge, walking 24 miles from Southport station back to Wigan to honour the memory r of l y ate colleague brother John The Wigan Wa W llgate RMT Solidarity t Fund y was formed following the suspension of strike action against DOO on ARN. Wigan Wa W llgate RMT members formed a strike committee visiting many tr y ade union REMEMBERING JOHN MITCHINSON