News & Events - Historic Churches Trust Ride & Stride

Saturday 13 September 2025

On Saturday 13 September St Matthew's took part in the annual 'Ride+Stride for Churches', organised by the county Historic Churches Trust - voluntary organisations that raise money for the restoration and maintenance of historic churches and chapels, supported by the national Churches Trust.

Roger, Tony and Dorrie manned St Matthew's over the four hours we were open, from 10am to 2pm, to record the riders and striders who came through our doors doing their bit to raise money on behalf of their own churches. All churches taking part get half of the sponsorship money back from the Trust.

Our first visitors were as usual hot off the mark, from Kingsley Park Methodist Church across the road, who always come in a group - five of them this year. Some years people have been queuing at the door waiting to be let in! People normally turn up usually in groups of two or three, and tend to be in, get registered, and out - there is a desire to get to as many churches as they can while they're open. Some support their own church alone.

Not many actually want to have a look around, but we always offer them our Welcome leaflet, which they often willingly accept anyway. Regular visitors I guess have already been here, done that, bought the T-shirt! They all stop for a chat though, and many say how much they always enjoy the day and what a good cause they are pleased to do it for. Some are quite colourful characters; we had one man in his 70s who had started off at Moulton Church to enjoy their 8am Men's Breakfast (he had walked from his house in The Headlands), then walked back into Northampton and was still going strong when he came to us at 12.10pm. He stayed chatting until 12.30pm (not even sitting down) before moving on to get more churches in… we recommended that when he had done his last church he should get the bus home from there - no need to walk after he'd finished!

As the time goes on the visitors tend to thin out, and after 1.15pm we thought we'd seen the last visitor. On the stroke of 2pm Dorrie approached the front door, keys in hand to lock up, and another four people arrived! So of course they came in, very apologetic for it being so late, and these people did want to have a look around - they had travelled from Bedfordshire and specially wanted to see St Matthew's.

This year we had 25 visitors at St Matthew's - of course, you choose which churches to visit, there is not a set route to follow, and as many or as few as you are able. Disappointingly, no-one had volunteered to ride or stride for us though. Before arthritic knees etc called time on us, we had a little band who enjoyed the social aspect of going for a walk on a Saturday with church friends and raising money at the same time, seeing inside churches that may not be open otherwise apart from services. They are all interesting and different. We had a coffee and cake stop further down the Kettering Road, and a lunch break in town. From that Happy Band, just Roger and Dorrie are still going strong, but now in a sitting-down role. There is the NHCT Annual Report in the bookstall area, highlighting various churches/chapels and why they have received their grants over the past year, and at the back details reports from various churches from last year's event, and includes one from our own Nick Bailey. Do have a look and maybe be inspired to give it a go next year?

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