On Saturday, 11 September, I shall again be tramping the streets of Gloucester as a participant in the Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust (GHCT) Sponsored Ride and Stride. (I don’t much care for the rather naff title, but the cause is what matters.)  The basic idea is to visit as many churches as possible during the day, either riding or on foot. This will be the fourth year I shall have participated, and I can vouch for the fact that - by Shanks’s Pony at least;  you won’t catch me on a bicycle, let alone a horse! - it also makes for a very rewarding day out. 

GHCT is a charity whose purpose is to raise funds to help places of Christian worship in Gloucestershire, of all denominations, with repairs and improvements to the fabric of the buildings and their contents, or to their surrounding churchyards, and this annual sponsored event is its principal source of income. Even if you are not a church-goer, I’m sure you will appreciate the beauty and historic importance of our church buildings, the need to keep them in good repair and the often substantial costs involved in doing so.  Half the money raised in sponsorship goes to the valuable work of the Trust and the other half to a particular church nominated by the participant - in this case, St Mary’s, Great Witcombe.

I should be most grateful for your sponsorship, whether by credit card through JustGiving or, for locals if they prefer, via the paper sponsorship form on display in St Mary’s.   Any amount, great or small, will be gratefully received, but, if you are a UK taxpayer, do be sure to complete the Gift Aid declaration, which will increase the value your donation by roughly 25% at no further cost to you.

 

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Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.