KFH takes on Hadrian's Wall
9th May, 2024
Over the May bank holiday weekend, nine of our people walked the entire length of Hadrian's Wall, an impressive 75+ mile hike extending through Cumbria and Northumberland, to raise money for our charity partner, London Youth.
The group, some of which have taken on Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis before, raised over £3,500 for London Youth.
On Thursday the team started their nine hour journey from Beckenham, in an ambulance for transport! They arrived at the accommodation in time for a few beers in the microbrewery next door, a family dinner, and drinks in the hot tub which set them up for starting the walk the next day.
The team tackled almost all of the wall route over three days, from Carlise to Newcastle. The first two days they took on fields full of cows and sheep, hundreds of stiles, puddles, and 1400 metres of ascendance. The beautiful countryside was breathtaking and certainly made the trip enjoyable. The third and final day was through Newcastle, with some different and busier views!
The team took well-deserved breaks in Air BnBs, micro-breweries, guest houses, tea rooms, and coffee stands, encountering amazing hospitality from the locals. They received lifts to save sore feet, lamb cuddles, met Geordie jokers, and indulged in free local ice cream.
Sharing inspiring stories and encouraging each other during difficult periods really made this trip a success. Luckily, the ambulance omen wasn’t a bad one, and they all returned relatively unscathed on Monday.
Those who took part were:
Alex Hoadley, Alice Moss, Chelsea Gregory-Brown, Danni Young, Laura Maikovaite, Matt Stanway, Rachel Carroll, Suraj Harij and Tate Smith.
Alice shared her thoughts: "Taking on this challenge alongside this amazing group has been incredibly rewarding. I'm grateful for the chance to fundraise for London Youth and connect with colleagues from different parts of KFH who I might not typically spend a lot of time with. Their encouragement, shared laughter, and the stunning surroundings helped me push through the pain in my legs and feet!"
Laura: "For me, it was harder than the mountains…. Mountains were one day of hard work… this was relentless…"
Matt: "This is the third London Youth fundraising challenge I’ve undertaken, having previously climbed Snowdon and Ben Nevis, and I think walking Hadrian’s Wall has to be the best yet! The course was tough (three full days of hiking), but stunning. We had an amazing team of 9 huge characters from across the business and despite the sore legs and blisters the laughs never stopped. Supporting London Youth in such an exciting way over the last few years had been one of the highlights of my career to far and I’m eagerly awaiting the next challenge."
