Hiking Hadrian’s Wall for South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade

From 28 January to 1 February 2026, we will be hiking the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall in the middle of winter.

Alongside the brigade captain, Stephen West, and a fellow volunteer, Luke Bickle, we'll be covering 84 miles on foot, starting at Bowness-on-Solway and finishing in Wallsend, while camping along the route and carrying everything we need. January weather, long days, tired legs — we’re taking it all on for one reason: to support South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade as we celebrate our 160th anniversary this year!

Why this matters to us.

We see first-hand the dedication our team gives to protect lives along our coastline. We train hard, give our time freely, and respond when people need help most — often in challenging and dangerous conditions.

But we can only do this with support.

Every donation will go directly towards keeping our Brigade operational — funding essential lifesaving equipment, training volunteers, and ensuring we’re ready to respond whenever the call comes.

How you can help,

If you’re able to donate, share this page, or leave a message of support, it would mean a huge amount to us. Every pound raised helps keep a volunteer-led lifesaving service going strong.

We’ll be pushing ourselves every step of the way — please help us make every mile count.

Thank you for supporting South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade and the volunteers who give their time to help save lives.