LATEST: Made it to all 40 churches. Photos attached. Thanks for your generous support.

On 10th September I shall be cycling in the "Bike 'n Hike" of the Beds & Herts Historic Churches Trust, of which I'm a Trustee.

I'm asking my friends for sponsorship for the number of churches I can reach in the 8 hours of the event: I hope to reach 40, and cover about 40 miles. The people I meet at the churches and chapels are delightful, but 5 minutes' chat at 40 stops, plus lunch and tea, can easily absorb 4 hours, so I shall have to concentrate! ("Lunch?!" you ask. Yes, a delicate picnic brought to a pre-arranged church by Anthea, with a small whisky-flask at the bottom if the weather's wet.)

I wonder if you think such an effort by an old chap like me would be worth 50p a church? That would come to £20 in total (assuming I hit my 40, which I usually do). Now that would be very fitting because this will be the 20th Bike 'n Hike that the Trust has put on. I am rather keen to celebrate this by finding 20 people to sponsor me at £20, and then another 20...

What's it all for? Well, the Trust is a non-denominational heritage charity, which steps in with a grant when a church is faced with costly repair work beyond its people's means. In 2010 we gave £85,000 to 20 churches in Beds & Herts, and our biggest source of  money for grants is the Bike 'n Hike. In last year's event I and some 900 other cyclists and walkers raised £99,033 (including Gift Aid) from generous sponsors like you, and we are keen to get well over the £100,000 barrier this time.

My chosen church. Half the money we raise is passed by the Trust to whatever individual church or chapel we nominate, and this year my nominated church will be St. Peter's Berkhamsted.

The heart of our heritage. Religious buildings are the heart of our two counties' architectural heritage, from Norman gems like Bengeo to the Meeting Houses of Bunyan's time, from the medieval brilliance of Ashwell to the New Town churches of the modern age. Their upkeep is the responsibility of their congregations large or small, with such help as outside bodies like the Trust can give them. Whether or not you value their continuing religious vigil, I hope you agree that their beauty is a precious possession which we all share and can help to look after.

So please be one of my "twenties": dig deep and donate now!

With many thanks and my best wishes,  Patrick.