Ride+Stride 2026 – Saturday 12th September
Thank you to all churches that have sent in their registration forms so far. It is not too late to send yours if you haven't already.
Some churches have planned alternative fundraisers so you might be interested in the following:
Welshampton (SY12 0PG) - on the 15th August 2026 Beth opened her beautiful small garden for a wonderful day of relaxed chat, plant and cake sales and raffle. Over £500 was raised which will be split between the church and the Trust. Thank you Beth.
Happening on the day:-
Hordley (SY12 9BB) - Flower Festival and Mouse Trail.
Madeley (TF7 5BN) - Jump onto the exercise bike and clock up a few miles!
Albrighton Methodist Church (WV7 3EN) - coffee morning 10am to midday.
Badger (WV6 7JR) - selling cakes outside the church to passers by.
Hopesay (SY7 8HD) - Coffee morning + all card donations that day to go to R+S
Bridgnorth Baptist (WV16 4AB) - garden open for the day
Let us know if you are doing something different for the event and we can add it to the website.
Ride+Stride is always the second Saturday in September. So this year it will be on Saturday 12th September. It is a National Event organised by the National Churches Trust, and we, the Shropshire Historic Churches Trust (SHCT), have been pleased to take part every year. Churches are usually open 10am - 6pm, but can choose different times if they wish. The forms, posters and REGISTER of CHURCHES, showing if churches are open, has now been moved to a Google Drive, and is available HERE. (note that when clicking on the document you may find that you then have to download it to be able to use it).
A map of the churches that have registered so far can be found HERE.
If you have any problems accessing the documents, please e-mail Rachel and John at shrops.ridestride@gmail.com and they will help.
The photo is of Bishop Richard, Bishop of Hereford, at Madeley, with JAN and JEANETTE dressed as ‘busy bees’. They were sponsored to visit six nearby churches beginning with ‘B’ – Badger, Beckbury, Boningale, Barrow, Broseley, and Buildwas. He, the Bishop, took part in R+S all day on 14 Sept 2024 on his immaculate 22-year-old Harley-Davidson, which is in the foreground. He rode up from Hereford ready to start at Madeley at 10.00. Then he zig-zagged back down the county visiting a total of 11 churches, ending at St Michael’s, Tenbury, at about 4pm. The County Organiser for R+S in 2024, David Hardham, was riding the pillion all the way, being sponsored to do so!
Ride+Stride is the biggest annual event for the Trust. It has two main objectives:
Firstly: It aims to be a day of welcome – a type of ‘Open Day’ – a day when our churches are open, ideally with some light refreshments, like biscuits and squash. (Some churches are noted for their great cakes). The objective is for it to be a Day when we can visit other churches and meet new people, travelling on foot, or by car – or by bike if you are young-ish and energetic.
Secondly: It also aims to be a day of fundraising for the Trust and for your chosen Church (or other group if you are not involved with a Church). The main method of raising funds is by sponsorship. Anyone can collect sponsorship, using our Sponsorship Form, and then off you go - visiting churches anywhere in the county, and being sponsored to do so. If you could not go on the 12th, then you can be sponsored to go on any other day, but some churches may be closed.
A very important point is that the money you obtain from sponsorship is split 50/50 between the Trust and your local Church (or your chosen group**). For example, if your Church (or other group) raised £1,000, then your own Church, or group, would have £500 for your own funds. The Trust would use the other £500 to put towards the grants we are awarding to our churches and chapels, all over Shropshire including Telford and Wrekin – and a few churches in our Dioceses that are just over the Welsh border.
Sometimes the 'Riders and Striders' have a pre-planned aim, like walking to the churches in Shrewsbury Town centre, or driving to visit all churches in their Benefice. But it is equally possible to be sponsored for any type of random trip to visit any of our churches anywhere. It is a surprisingly enjoyable day.
It is quite common to leave refreshments in an empty church if it’s safe to do so. Especially in rural churches. Then the Church people can go out on sponsored ‘Rides’ & ‘Strides’. And car trips - going to open churches that are always pleased to have visitors.
It can be rather sad to sit in church all day for only a few visitors. Why not go out, for a couple of hours (or more) on a sponsored ride, walk, or car ride? Please remember that if you cannot go on the 12th, then you can be sponsored to go on any other day.
It is the major annual fundraiser for the Trust.
Thank you, everyone who participated in 2025, and please consider having a go in 2026. On Saturday 12th September, or another day if busy on the 12th (but you would miss the cakes/bikkies and some churches would be closed, especially in urban areas).
Details of how to get involved are explained below.
Thank you.
Rachel & John Pittaway (County Coordinators, Ride+Stride)
email: shrops.ridestride@gmail.com phone: 01948 710817
** You are welcome to join in and visit some churches even if you are not connected with a church. Cycling clubs, walking clubs or any other group are welcome to use our Sponsorship Form, collect some sponsorship, send it to our R+S Treasurer, and get half back to donate to a church or use in other ways.
How to get started...
Ride+Stride is not a centrally organised ride or walk. That is why we prefer to call ourselves coordinators - we are here to help you to create your own event. It’s up to to you, the individual people in individual churches or other groups and clubs**:-
(a) Download a sponsorship form using the link at the top of this page;
(b) Start collecting sponsors early. Some people may only be able to offer a little, especially during our 'cost of living' crisis, but every little helps ...
(c) Please ask all your sponsors to tick the Gift Aid box if they are UK income tax payers and most importantly, give all the required information. The first line of the address and post codes have to be filled in to reclaim this free money from the government! Please make sure it is legible. The name must be of one UK Income tax payer - not the name of a business, and not the name of two taxpayers ie: not 'Jack and Jill Jones'. Only Jack Jones. Or Jill Jones. As long as he or she is a UK income tax payer.
(c) On the 'Ride+Stride Day', you and your friends put some light refreshments in your church, and then some of you can go on your sponsored walks, rides, or car rides. [The latter is most appealing if it’s raining, or for those of us who are not ‘spring chickens’ anymore!].
In other words, Ride+Stride is an Open Day where you can visit as many (or as few) churches as you like, between 10am and 6pm. You can walk, run, cycle, ride or drive. Go where you wish – there is no set route - and enjoy visiting some of our County’s fabulous churches.
If several nearby Churches join in, and there are plenty of people travelling between them, and some Churches are staffed, the day becomes very enjoyable. A useful way to do it is to take turns: some stay in church for the morning while others go on their travels, then swap over for the afternoon.
You can travel alone but usually two or three will go together – visiting other Churches, and enjoying the fellowship of Churches that you may not visit often, or may never have visited at all. It is an enjoyable day, not a difficult chore!
Sometimes a whole benefice will do a big sponsored walk or ride. Whatever. It is your choice.
(IF you cannot go on 'The Day', then collect sponsors and do your travelling on a different day, but some churches may be closed; and, sadly, no refreshments).
After the event, you send all that your Church has raised to the R+S Treasurer by BACS, preferrably (you can also now send this to us using PayPal by clicking Here ), and he will send 50% back to you by BACS. Or pay by cheque if you request it and include a sae.
The rest, including the Gift Aid, is used by the Trust to give grants for repairs and improvements at places of worship, of all denominations.
If you look at 'Guidance for Local Organisers' you will see how David became aware of R+S, having been totally unaware of what it was all about until 2017.
REGISTRATION
The REGISTER of CHURCHES, showing if churches are open, has now been moved to a Google Drive, using the link at the top of this page. We prepare this so participants can plan their own event, whether cycling, walking, or driving. They decide their route between churches and chapels by using the Register. We will be contacting every church that we know about, and where we have a current contact, so that we can prepare as full a Register as possible, with details on the list to say if you are open, with refreshments, etc. If you and your Church/Chapel want to tell us now, please download the registration form which you can find using the link at the top of this page, fill it in and send it to Rachel and John Pittaway (email address is below). This form was also sent out to all contacts on the 12th March 2026. Please read and respond to the e-mail.
INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPANTS do not need to register with us - just collect sponsors, using the Sponsorship Form, and have a good day of visiting other churches. Afterwards, give your form and any sponsorship to the person at your Church (or other group) who is sending it to our Treasurer ... it may even be you! Any questions or queries, email <shrops.ridestride@gmail.com>
All churches are an interesting part of our history and heritage - September 12th 2026 will be a day when you can take time off to explore some of Shropshire's rich heritage - but you can still go another day if you are busy on the 12th (some churches might be closed, and you would miss the biscuits and cake; but, hey-ho, it's all in a good cause!)
Ride+Stride Report 2023
R+S had a fantastic year in 2023. We (you) raised a total of £37,083.23 from sponsorship and donations. This was a new record – the previous highest was £31,252 in 2018. 115 churches participated in 2023 – a significant increase (it was 82 churches in 2021).
Further good news is that 24 Churches joined us in fundraising for the first time in ages, including six Churches that participated for the first time ever. In addition, the vast majority of our churches were open – about 85%, but a few churches never told me if they were open so I don’t know exactly.
Hearty congratulations to the “Top 5”: Clungunford (£1,516), Shelton w Oxon (£1,305), Clun (£1,228), Hordley (£1,203), and Ratlinghope (£1,014).
Special congratulations to the “5 Highest New Entries”: Holy Trinity Belle Vue Shrewsbury (£732), Meole Brace (£694), Buildwas (£486), Weston Lullingfield (£454), and Newport (£415).
Ride+Stride is not a competition between churches. We know that some congregations are far better able to do Rides, Strides (and car rides) than others, so the ‘Hit Parades’ are just meant as a bit of fun and a good way to recognise all the generous support from much of the county, including Telford and several parishes just over the border in Wales. It is a major fundraiser for the Trust, but it is just one of our events. The 'Gardens Open' days have also been a great enjoyment and a major contributor to our finances.
Ride+Stride Report 2022
R+S -- Is always the second Saturday in September (except 2022 when it was postponed to 24 September due to the sad death of the Queen), but some churches opened on the 10th and many Riders + Striders went out on their sponsored travels on the 10th, and many others went out on the 24th, and some even went on both dates.
One highlight was the arrival of three rickshaws at St Chad's, Shrewsbury.
The 'Open Day' aspect of R+S Day was somewhat affected by the postponement but, even so, about 85% of our Anglican churches were open, mostly with light refreshments, and there were about 25 other churches open for 'Riders' and 'Striders', including the RC cathedral, and the Unitarian Church in Shrewsbury. Several Churches had many more visitors than in previous years and some churches were open for the first time ever.
The fundraising was also successful: £29,700 which was our third-best year ever - despite some muddle caused by the postponement. There were 30 Churches that joined in for the first time in a long time, (about 10 of them joined for the first time ever). The total was raised by 101 Churches, more than for many years. It was mainly from sponsored rides, plus some generous donations. This is a fantastic achievement and I and the other Trustees give our grateful thanks to everyone who helped in any way.
The ‘Top 5’ were Clungunford (£1,503), Ratlinghope (£1,222), Shelton w Oxon (£1,035), Hordley (£985), and Stanton-under-Hine Heath (£887). Congratulations!
Many others raised large amounts – 12 others raised £500 or more.
And special congratulations to the “5 Highest New Entries”: Welshampton (£403), Doddington (£390), Burford (£345), Prees (£288), and Alberbury (£258). We hope that this will be the beginning of many enjoyable Ride+Stride years for them and all the other 'New Entries'
A FINAL NOTE: There are some parts of the county where the whole event is still rather low-key - Churches leave biscuits and squash for visitors but very few people make any sponsored travels and the chocolate biscuits are untouched! I suppose it's our job to encourage more involvement in those localities, and we are uplifted by all the churches that did sponsoring for the first time since before Covid. Thank you!
Ride+Stride Report 2021
The Trust is pleased to report that 88 churches raised funds, mostly by sponsored walks, rides and car rides; but some gave generous donations in lieu, and some did both! The total for 2021 was £30,788, which is our second-best year ever.
This was extremely encouraging, especially as Covid was still a significant problem for many Churches in September 2021. The full Annual R+S Report for 2021 is available as a document on our website: RS ANNUAL REPORT 2021
Ride+Stride Report 2020
The Trust would like to thank the many Churches that supported R+S in 2020. The decision to go ahead left many of you precious little time to organise your fundraising and we are aware that many of the Churches that always participate had made a decision to leave things till 2021. Despite this, it seems that over half the Churches that normally raise money succeeded in raising over £16,200 in 2020. Absolutely amazing.
Guidance for Participants
There is a 'Guidance Note for Local Organisers' on the website
Are you having any difficulty finding Ride+Stride Forms or SHCT Reports?
If so, just click here and choose the document you need and download it.
Can't Ride+Stride? Maybe you can.
Exercise bike in porch and stay dry ....(Thank you Donnington Wood!)
Benefice Pilgrimage.........(Thank you Stottesdon, Hanwood benefice, Westbury-Yockleton, Kinnerley-Melverley benefice, PontStip group.) Ring us for details.
Drive and Stride, fill your car with friends and drive between churches.
Choose a project to raise money for, eg. A new church gate?
Use Just Giving, it makes collecting money easy
Do a sponsored dog walk, attach posters to a little saddle on its back....and carry a bucket for extra donations.
Park and Ride, and enjoy visiting town churches.
Toddlers Tootle around the churchyard.
Put out a Donation Box for Ride+Stride visitors.
You can visit the
NEIGHBOURING RIDE+STRIDE WEBPAGE LINKs
Click here
For further information have a look at the National Ride+Stride Website ... ridestride.org
Please contact us, if you need more information
Rachel & John Pittaway: shrops.ridestride@gmail.com
R+S Treasurer - John Pittaway: ridetreasurershct@gmail.com