Ride + Stride event will return this summer as residents in Harborough and beyond urged to sign up

Residents in Harborough and beyond are urged to pump pedals and pound pavements to help historic churches.

Following a successful event in 2024, the LeicesterShire Historic Churches Trust is encouraging people to sign up to take part in this year’s Ride+Stride.

Taking place on Saturday September 13, the event is a church open day involving sponsored cyclists, walkers, joggers, runners, horse-riders and mobility scooter users. People can also be sponsored as a welcomer on duty in a church.

This annual fundraising event helps raise money for repairs and improvements to historic churches, chapels and meeting houses throughout Leicestershire.

Having celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024, the trust raised nearly £43,000 through last year’s Ride+Stride – nearly a 15 per cent increase on the previous year.

Half of the sponsorship money goes to the church or chapel chosen by participants, while the other half goes to the trust for grants to churches and chapels for repair, restoration and improvement projects.

Participants can plan their own route – which may cross county borders – using the list of churches and chapels opening on the day, and which will be uploaded to the trust website in August.

Riders and Striders can ask relations, friends and colleagues to sponsor them. This could be in the form of a particular amount for each church or chapel they visit, or a lump sum.

Trust chair Janet Arthur said: “Ride+Stride is a fantastic way to not only support the amazing church buildings and chapels present across Leicestershire, but to also visit and enjoy them up close over the course of one day.

“It’s clear that more and more people are taking the opportunity to do this, which is thrilling for us. We are really hopeful that we will be able to build on recent momentum around Ride+Stride and see a further increase in funds raised in 2025!”

Visit www.lhct.org.uk/ride-and-stride for more information and to sign up a church or chapel.

LeicesterShire Historic Churches Trust is a non-denominational charity that helps churches, chapels and meeting houses with grants for repairs and improvements, and raises funds for that purpose.