More outstanding service certificates for church volunteers who have helped Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride event (originally known as a sponsored Bike Ride) have been awarded by Suffolk Historic Churches Trust.
The twenty volunteer Area Organisers across the county were asked to contact church organisers for their suggestions for worthy recipients. The latest certificate was presented by Simon Ronan, Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride Chairman to David and Vivienne Taylor at morning mass at St Clare’s RC Church, Framlingham, for 37 years of supporting Ride and Stride, raising thousands of pounds for the Trust and their church,.
“The Suffolk Historic Churches sponsored Ride and Stride has been an annual event for over 40 years,” said Simon Ronan. “It is the sole fundraising event for the Trust and this year raised £193,794.02. The donations from this popular county event fund grants to churches of all faiths for repairs and maintenance. The Trust relies on volunteers to help with the fundraise and man the churches during the hours of the ride. As chairman of Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride, it gives me great pleasure to award certificates of long service for their dedication and kindness. It is a small token of our gratitude, but also an expression of the importance they are to our charity. Our churches are houses of prayer, but they also have a historic significance in our villages and towns, and are an important part of our fabric.”
The hundreds of supporters walking or cycling around their chosen route from over 500 churches that are open on the day, donate half their sponsorship to their chosen church, chapel or meeting house and the other half to the Trust to be given in grants to help preserve church buildings. Anyone is welcome to take part, not just church-goers. The next Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride 2024 is on Saturday 13th September.