On Saturday 9 September, sponsored cyclists, walkers, drivers and riders across Worcestershire & Dudley will be visiting as many churches as they can to raise money for the local Historic Churches Trust.
The annual event, which has been taking place for over two decades, is a fun way for participants to raise much-needed funds whilst enjoying a few hours travelling around the region’s beautiful countryside and some of its most historic buildings. Anyone can take part, and half the money raised will go to a church or chapel chosen by the participant, with the other half going to the local Trust and its work supporting the upkeep and repair of historic churches in Worcestershire & Dudley. All the resources needed to take part can be downloaded from the website www.ridestrideworcs.org.
Bishop John said, “Ride and Stride is a great way to visit some of our churches while raising money to support these important and historic ‘memory palaces’. Many of them will be open, with refreshments on offer for visitors, so there’ll be an opportunity to pop in and learn about the stories held within the stones by cycling, walking or driving. I’m looking forward to getting on my bike!”.
Many churches around the diocese have already said that they will be open for visitors on the day, with more churches registering every week. You can find out which churches are open, and whether they provide refreshments, at www.ridestrideworcs.org, which also lists some suggested routes. However, participants can visit any church – whether open or not – of any denomination to add to their tally of churches visited on the day.
More information can be found on the website, or by contacting the Trust’s Ride & Stride Coordinator Tobias Thornes at tobiastjwt@googlemail.com.
