South Shields’ 'Blister Sisters' smash their fundraising target after 122 mile treadmill trek for local charities

Now known as the ‘Blister Sisters’, Angela Davies, 55, and Jean Cook, 58 walked 122 miles - the equivalent of the distance from South Shields to Edinburgh - on treadmills in the Trimmers Arms on Saturday, August 17.

Despite setting themselves a goal of 24 hours, they completed the distance 10 hours ahead of schedule - finishing at 1am rather than 10.30am - thanks to the help of local runners who volunteered to cover some of the miles.

The pair have now raised more than four times their initial target of £500, with over £2,000 donated so far and more contributions coming in every day.

"We loved every minute of it,” said Angela.

"We had a few runners doing some of the miles for us, because it would have been virtually impossible to do it ourselves in 24 hours.”

She continued: “As the money started coming in it was just beyond belief, it was so overwhelming."

“And so many people turned up on the day, it was just unbelievable. We started at 10.31am and from then until the finish, the place was busy the whole time.”

The Trimmers Arms also hosted a family fun day, with live music, entertainment and raffles going on while the walk was taking place.

“We’ve had lots of help from people, especially the Trimmers Arms,” said Angela.

Three quarters of the funds will go to the Chloe and Liam Together Forever Trust, with the rest being donated to Jack’s Classroom in Tanzania, a charity set up in memory of Angela’s cousin’s son, Jack Burden.

In 2014, 18 year-old Jack from South Shields, was on a trip of a lifetime in Tanzania, when he tragically died as a result of anaphylactic shock. The family are funding a communal garden to help the Tanzanian village he spent his time in.

Angela added: “We just want to thank everyone for helping out and donating, we couldn’t have done it without them.”