Ride & Stride, St Mary's 10th September

Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust helps to look after church buildings in Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire and North Bristol, a region with over 620 historic churches, chapels and meeting houses. The buildings are very diverse, but each has a story to tell in the history of its community. Over its 40+ years in existence the Trust has supported countless communities in carrying out work to repair, conserve or install new facilities in their churches. They typically offer grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 towards each project they approve. And their role extends beyond the funding to encouragement and advice.

Alongside legacies and donations, the main source of the Trust’s funds is the money raised each September through the Ride+Stride campaign. The name reflects the main fund-raising effort, which is a sponsored tour of some of the area’s churches, whether on foot, horseback, by bicycle or even by car, but it has now expanded to encompass all sorts of fund-raising events.

This year’s Ride+Stride at St Mary’s incorporates a Wobble+Toddle as well as a picnic starting at 11am.