Charity walker strolls into Hartlepool RNLI

Alex started walking the 9500 mile coast of Britain and Ireland on 3rd August 2014. He's been walking nonstop ever since and has just completed the 4500 mile walk round the Scottish coast.

He undertook the challenge to raise money for the RNLI. The RNLI is a charity that operates 237 lifeboat stations around Britain and Ireland and relies entirely on volunteers and donations to save an average of 23 lives every single day. Alex is walking to all 237 lifeboat stations and has already raised nearly £60,000.

'There's no doubt lifeboat volunteers are heroes,' says Alex. 'I must have met over one thousand volunteers by now. Their dedication, sacrifice and bravery is an inspiration. And the fact I've managed to raise so much money to support them says to me how much respect people have for the volunteer crews and what they do for us.

'It's unfortunate there's so much bad news in the world right now. But here are thousands of men and women, from all different backgrounds, coming together to help others. It restores your faith in humanity.'

Alex's walk started from his hometown in Margate, Kent on the south east coast of England. From there he walked west along the south coast and spent his first winter walking around the Cornish coast. He then walked up the Welsh coast and back into England.

When Alex made it to Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway in July 2015 he got a ferry to Belfast and started his 2500 mile walk round the coast of Ireland. He completed Ireland and was back in Scotland in August 2016. That's when Alex started walking up the west coast towards the Outer Hebrides where he spent Christmas and New Years Eve.

Alex hopes to have finished the last 1000 miles of his walk down the east coast of England by November this year. When he finishes back where he started in Kent, Alex will have walked for over 3 years and taken over 20 million footsteps.

Alex says: 'The past year walking round Scotland has proven to be one of the most challenging years of my whole walk. I was up in the Outer Hebrides this winter where winds reached over 100mph. I've fallen and fractured my ankle. I've walked through hurricanes and through the vast Highlands landscape. But despite the challenges, I fell in love with Scotland. The hospitality and generosity of all the communities I walked through up there blew me away.

'And the support I receive from the thousands of people following me on social media, that's helped me.'

Alex went on say ‘I would like to thank all the volunteer crew at the Hartlepool RNLI lifeboat station for their hospitality during my overnight stay and also the offers of help from the very generous people at Hartlepool.'

Hartlepool RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Mike Craddy said ‘Alex’s fundraising walk is a fantastic feat of endurance, determination and stamina and the money raised will go towards saving lives at sea. All of us at the lifeboat station wish Alex all the best for the remainder of his amazing fundraising walk.'

Pic captions: RNLI charity walker Alex Ellis-Roswell pictured at Hartlepool RNLI lifeboat station. Pic by Tom Collins.

RNLI charity walker Alex Ellis-Roswell pictured at Hartlepool RNLI lifeboat station with volunteer crew members. Pic by Tom Collins.

If you would like to donate to RNLI Lifeboats you can donate online here: www.bt.com/DonateToLifeboats

And you can follow and support Alex on his Facebook profile here: www.facebook.com/alexellisroswell

RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone Tom Collins, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07896 793557

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.