Story | Midrex Gives Back
Living Our Purpose: Nigel’s 5th Charity Walk
May 29, 2026
On Saturday, May 16th, Nigel Philips, from the MUK Office in London, set out once again for the latest installment in his “Midrex Long Walks” campaign. Marking his fifth annual walk, Nigel tackled a portion of the Greenwich Meridan Trail. This year’s walk was dedicated toward MUK’s charities, Future Dreams (breast cancer research) and West Kent Mind (mental health support and services).
The Greenwich Meridan Trail is a 273-mile pathway starting from the South of England and extending directly North to the coast of East Yorkshire. Named because of its path along the Prime Meridian, the route follows the North-to-South meridian as closely as possible.
History of the Greenwich Meridian Trail
Adopted as the Prime Meridian in 1884 during the International Meridian Conference in Washington, D.C., this line demarcates the imaginary line that divides the Earth into Eastern and Western hemispheres.
Countries like France, Spain, and India had their own reference meridians, which complicated international navigation and mapping. Additionally, the expansion of railways and telegraph systems motivated the need for standardized time and a single prime meridian. Thus, this decision ultimately spawned from global challenges in navigation and timekeeping during the 19th century.
The establishment of the Prime Meridian also acknowledged the Royal Observatory at Greenwich as zero degrees longitude for the entire world. This agreement became the basis for Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the universal time standard until the adoption of coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in 1972.
Flashing forward to 2009, the Greenwich Meridian Trail was officially inaugurated to coincide with the 125th anniversary of the Greenwich Meridian. The trail utilizes public rights of way to create a memorable journey.
Nigel’s Journey and Highlights
Nigel’s long-winded journey started at the King George V Memorial—erected in 1936 by locals—at Peacehaven in East Sussex.
His walk journeyed north via paths and trails through the historic town of Lewes—former home of U.S. Founding Father Thomas Paine and cite of the famous Anne of Cleaves House.
As he continued his walk, Nigel passed through smaller villages such as Offham, Hamsey and Barcombe. Nigel’s excursion finally ended at Haywards Heath, a town known for its historical battles, beautiful gardens, and Victorian architecture.
In total, Nigel’s walk recorded an impressive 30 miles in 12 hours.
Nigel’s commitment and perseverance is a testament to the Midrex Gives Back mission, inspiring positive change with every step.
Thanks also to Nigel’s friend for joining him on the walk.
Learn more about the charitable causes Nigel walked to support here:
West Kent Mind Home – West Kent Mind
Future Dreams | In-person and virtual breast cancer support
