Barney gets on his bike for Historic Churches Trust

Littleport cyclist Barney Leeke is set to ride the length of the county as part of the Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Trust ‘Ride and Stride’ event in September.

Starting from Tydd St Giles in the north of the county, Barney, 37, will wend his way towards Great Chishill in the south, visiting as many churches as possible on the way. He said: “I last took part in this event over 20 years ago as a young lad but the generous grants St George’s in Littleport has received over the last few years prompted me to give it a go again.”

The Ride and Stride is an annual event taking place on September 13 encouraging people to visit some of the county’s many historic church buildings and raise money for the trust in the process.

Sponsorship is often given per church or mile covered, Mr Leeke said he hopes to collect more than 50 churches in a ride which will cover nearly 100 miles.

He added: “I’m a keen cyclist and have completed challenging rides before, so I thought I ought to try something special for this event.”

Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Trust is a partner of the National Churches Trust and aims to support the continued use of historic church buildings in the county by providing grants for their upkeep.

Established in 1983, the Cambridgeshire Trust has given many grants to local churches and this is their main fundraising event.

To donate to Barney’s ride, visit www.justgiving.com/BarneyLeeke or e-mail barnabas.leeke@gmail.com to pledge sponsorship.