I wonder if the pioneering people who first did the Bike Ride in 1983 would believe that it is still going strong in 2023 and that the event has raised over 4 million for churches. The bikes, the clothes, the world has changed enormously but one thing hasn’t changed, we still have our magnificent churches and I don’t think we have lost any in the last 40 years. I think the Bike Ride, the Norfolk Churches Trust and our amazing supporters can take a lot of credit for this. However, the challenges facing our churches are still enormous and I hope you will celebrate this 40th year by making a huge effort to support a church of your choice and the Norfolk Churches Trust by taking part in the 40th Bike Ride. We would love to hear from anybody who took part in the first bike ride.
The majority of churches in the county will be open on the day and the idea is to visit as many of them as possible using any method of transport from Bike, Horse, Car or your own two feet! Last year the Bike Ride produced another amazing result. An extraordinary total of £134,301 was raised by 622 gallant participants. This meant the Bike Ride has raised over £4 million since its inception in 1983. This money has made a huge difference to preserving Norfolk’s iconic and beautiful churches over the years. A total of 286 places of worship received cheques last year.
The money is divided between the church of the participants choice and the Norfolk Churches Trust who provide grants for repairs to our beautiful and historic churches of all Christian denominations. Norfolk has the largest number of Medieval Churches for one area in the world and they desperately need our help if they are going to be around for the next generation to appreciate. Please see the website for any covid guidelines and how to participate. https://norfolkchurchestrust.org.uk/bike-ride/
We would love people to send in pictures on the day. We will choose a couple of photographs and give a £50 prize to the ones we like most and send them to the EDP to be published. Even if you don’t win we want lots of pictures to put on the facebook page and website.
For the more competitive they can try and get their name on the Wall of Fame, where the names of the people who visit the most number of churches in a day, by bike or foot, are posted on the Norfolk Churches Trust website.https://norfolkchurchestrust.org.uk/bike-ride/wall-of-fame/
The Lord Lieutenant Certificate, will be awarded to the person who raises the most money.
There is a prize of £1,000 for the most improved church. i.e the church that manages to increase its fundraising the most compared to last year.
Don’t forget that for the less hearty that you can drive around the 600+ churches open on the day and perhaps combine it with a pub lunch with a group of friends and just make a donation.
Many thanks
Charles Inglis
Bike Ride Committee Chairman
