Sunderland fishermen walk 84 miles along Hadrian's Wall to raise money for the RNLI

Stephen (left) with friend Darren who are taking on a 84 mile walk in the aid of Sunderland RNLI.

Darren Bates, 51 and Stephen Hodgson, 38, from Ryhope, are walking 84 miles over five days along Hadrian’s Wall in aid of the RNLI.

The keen fishers say they are taking on the challenge to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RLNI) after seeing “the invaluable work they carry out”.

Darren and Stephen, who are regular walkers have planned a route alongside Hadrian’s wall which will begin on Sunday, August 22 at Bowness-On-Soloway, walking east to Wallsend – with an average of eight hours of walking a day.

The duo have set a target of £840, which is the equivalent of £10 a mile.

ITV confirms release date for the upcoming 11th series of crime drama Vera

Darren, who is a butcher by trade but currently works at Amazon said: “We do a lot of walking so 84 miles doesn’t faze us.

"We wanted to raise money for the RNLI because it’s a fantastic cause and living so close to the coast you see just how much they do here.”

The two friends have also purchased a Hadrian’s Wall passport which will be stamped across seven locations of the wall as they complete their trek.

Stephen, known as Styles, added: “I did another fundraiser for the Air Ambulance back in May so we decided to do this one in aid of the Lifeboat Institution.

"Me and Darren both have dogs so we regularly go walking and we thought why not raise money for a deserving cause.”

You can help donate to Darren and Stephen’s fundraiser here.

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our news and sport, see fewer ads, experience faster load times, test your brain with daily puzzles and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

The Sunderland Echo has been on Wearside since 1873, and your support means we can continue telling your stories for generations to come. Click here to subscribe.