WORKERS from UK Docks headquarters in South Shields have continued their voluntary work at the town’s Arbeia Roman Fort with a last visit of 2025 to the iconic site.
The company’s ongoing support, co-ordinated by office manager Emma Bryson, have earned UK Docks warm praise from Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums which operates the historic site.
And UK Docks plans to maintain its links with the Fort into 2026 as part of its ongoing commitments to the local community.
Arbeia Roman Fort getting a final spruce up of 2025 - left to right, UK Docks’ Rachel Barrett and Emma Bryson with Tyne and Wear Museums and Archives’ Alex Croom.
Operations Director, Stephen Lee, said: “UK Docks is proud to be based in South Shields and it is important to us to give back to the communities that sustain our growth and progress both in South Tyneside and around the country with our workers and supply chains. “
In recent years, the company which has always supported local charities, and has had a strong link with South Shields Cadets, T.S. Collingwood for many years, has looked to do even more.
A beach clean at Littlehaven Beach marked the start of more involvement but it has been work carried out at the tourist attraction of Arbeia’s Roman Fort which has become an enduring contribution.
Office manager Emma, said: “We were initially thinking of our visit to the Fort as a one-off - we’d go and help carry out a spring clean of the site - but it has become more than that and we have started to visit regularly.
UK Docks’ clean-up team, hard at work at South Shields’ Arbeia Roman Fort.
“It’s such a historic part of the town - an outpost from the Roman Empire from 2,000 years ago - and we wanted to do our part in supporting it."
“The work we do involves keeping the site cleaned and tidy, preventing it from becoming overgrown and contributing to as many small tasks as we can on the day.
On their last visit of 2025, Emma was joined by colleagues Richie Cheel, Rachel Barrett, Ross Turnbull and Stephen Boggon and this time they worked behind the scenes on the site’s compound and yard.
Alexandra Croom, Keeper of Archaeology at Tyne and Wear Archives and Museum, who is based on the site, has been delighted with the support offered by UK Docks’ workforce.
She said: “As we have come to expect from the team, they did sterling work on the site, and got a huge amount done in a single day.
“A large buddleia had grown in the yard near our offices and had rather taken over the compound and blocked out light from windows on all three sides.
“They cut this right back and let light back in, as well as removed saplings and tidied the yard to make the compound usable space once again.
“After that, they weeded the central courtyard of our reconstructed Roman courtyard house, improving the view for our visitors immeasurably, which we’re very grateful for.
“It is always a pleasure to have the UK Docks team at the Fort and we thank them so much for keeping on coming back!
“They always get a lot done and it has made a big difference to the site, so we look forward to seeing them again next year.”