Most counties in England hold an annual 'Ride & Stride', on the second Saturday in September, to raise money for church restoration and repair. The idea is that cyclists and walkers are given a list of churches and chapels in the area of their choice. They map out their own route to pedal or walk to places of Christian worship having arranged to be sponsored by friends for a fixed sum or donation per church visited.
The money that is collected is divided in two. Half goes to the church or chapel of the cyclist's or walker's choice, the other half is retained by the Surrey Churches Preservation Trust for distribution to churches in need. The Trust looks more favourably on applications from supporters of the Ride & Stride event. In the twenty-five years that Ride & Stride has been running in Surrey, over £500,000 has been raised.
The Trust, whose trustees are from most Christian denominations, runs the annual event in Surrey, supported by a dozen or so Area Organisers. These organisers give support to Church Organisers, providing the paperwork and any guidance they need for preserving our precious heritage.
Ride & Stride is a fun way to spend time on a pleasant Saturday in September while getting to know some Surrey places of Christian worship and raising funds for this worthy cause. Why not make up a group and join in this year! Some suggested routes are available from the SCPT website.
Supporters who prefer not to 'ride or stride', please consider sponsoring volunteers involved in this important event. In addition, joining the Trust costs very little and contributes to its vital work.
More details can be found at:-
www.SurreyChurchesPreservationTrust.org
https://ridestride.org/
www.nationalchurchestrust.org
