From Diss to Wells: fire and rescue staff scaling the county for 60-mile charity hike

A team of Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service (NFRS) staff are aiming to walk the length of Norfolk in under 24 hours to raise money for charity.

The Hydrant Hike is a challenge being undertaken by all ten members of the service's Hydrant Team, who will walk the 60-mile journey from Diss in South Norfolk to Wells-next-the-Sea on the north Norfolk coast.

Their endeavour is all to raise money for the Fire Fighters Charity, a national organisation that provides clinical care and wellbeing support to members of the UK's fire services and their families.

The hike will be taking place on the weekend of Saturday 17 - Sunday 18 May, with the team setting off from Diss (outside the Cappadocia Restaurant on the B1077) at 12 noon on Saturday. They'll be walking through the night on the route, passing through Wymondham, Dereham and Fakenham, with the final leg of their journey finishing at Wells RNLI Lifeboat Station.

The Hydrant team are a dedicated team of technicians and support staff responsible for inspecting and maintaining over 22,000 hydrants across Norfolk, ensuring they are operational for crews to provide them with a reliable water supply whenever fires occur.

Sam Minister-Wilson, Senior Hydrant Technician in the team, is one of the staff members taking part in the hike.

He said: "Any Norfolk resident will tell you that we're lucky to live in such a scenic county. So we thought why not set ourselves the challenge of walking along it, and raise some money at the same time.

"The distance we'll be walking will be more than two marathons, so it's going to be a real test on all of our bodies. But it'll be huge motivation to know that we're doing it for the Fire Fighters Charity, who do fantastic work for firefighters and their families and are a cause close to all of our hearts."

Scott Norman, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, said: "The Hydrant Team have done some tremendous work in raising funds for the Fire Fighters Charity for this gruelling challenge, and I know the whole service will be behind them when they set off from Diss next month."  

The group will be supported by operational fire crews joining them along different sections of the walk, along with family members, friends and colleagues. The final mile of the journey will be along the Beach Bank at Wells-next-the-Sea, where the hikers will be joined by members of RNLI Wells taking part in their annual Mayday Mile family event.

Chris Hardy, Wells RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager, said: "We're really looking forward to teaming up with Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service for this special Mayday Mile event. It's a fantastic opportunity to bring our communities together and celebrate the dedication of our lifesaving teams. 

"Events like this highlight the strength of collaboration between emergency services, and we're proud to walk alongside Norfolk's firefighters as they complete the final stretch of their incredible Hydrant Hike. We hope this joint effort inspires plenty of support and helps raise vital funds for both our services."

You can donate towards the Hydrant Hike via their Just Giving page.