LHCT Ride+Stride 2025

Following the success of the 2024 event, the Leicestershire Historic Churches Trust (LHCT) invites people to join the 2025 Ride+Stride.

On Saturday 13 September Ride+Stride is a Church Open Day and a sponsored event for cyclists, walkers, joggers, runners, horse-riders and mobility scooter drivers. Participants can also be sponsored as a welcomer in a church.

This annual fundraising event helps repair and improve historic churches, chapels and meeting houses in Leicester and Leicestershire.

In 2024, the LHCT celebrated its 60th anniversary and raised £42,769 through Ride+Stride, a 15% increase from 2023.

Half of the sponsorship money goes to the chosen church or chapel, while the other half goes to the LHCT, which uses its share for grants to churches and chapels for repair, restoration and improvement projects.

Participants plan their own route (which may cross county borders) using the LHCT website’s List of Churches and Chapels (over 300!) that will be uploaded in August.

Riders and Striders can ask relatives, friends, and colleagues to sponsor them. This could be a specific amount for each church or chapel they visit between 10 am and 6 pm, or a lump sum. Sponsorships are recorded on a form, and interested parties can participate for as long or short a time as they like within the day.

“Ride+Stride is a great way to support the amazing church buildings and chapels in Leicestershire and visit them up close in one day,” said Janet Arthur from Smeeton Westerby and Chair of LHCT. “More people are taking this opportunity, which we’re thrilled about. We hope to build on recent momentum and see a further increase in funds raised in 2025!”

Sean Dudley
Ride + Stride Coordinator/Social Media Lead