Repairing your churches

The results of the Bike ‘n’ Hike event organised by the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Historic Churches Trust has just been announced.

Altogether more than 1,000 participants, backed by thousands of sponsors, collected £102,297 in a single day.

Organiser, Madeline Russell, said: “It is a complicated event to organise because of the numbers of people and venues involved and it takes six months to gather in all the sponsorship and sort out the financial arrangements.

“It is a nail biting time for the organising team as we wait to see if we have reached the magic six figure total. We have once again done it!”

The event has been held annually for the last 20 years and the money is used for the repair and restoration of churches and chapels of all denominations in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

Madeline added: “Of the money raised half is returned to local churches and chapels to use as they see fit and the other half is retained by the Trust to be accessed through grants for churches in need of help with repair.”

Congregations often find it difficult to meet high upkeep costs.

The 2012 event will be on Saturday, September 8 and anyone can join in. Visit www.bedshertshct.org.uk