THE Isle of Wight is gearing up for the annual Ride and Stride event, where people are encouraged to visit churches by foot, bicycle, scooter or even canoe.

More than 40 Island churches will be open to the public on Saturday, 26 of which will be offering refreshments to visitors.

Organised by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Historic Churches Trust, Ride and Stride offers a rare opportunity to visit a range of churches.

The trust is a registered charity which raises funds for grants and loans towards the upkeep of 900 church buildings, representing many different Christian traditions.

Last year’s Ride and Stride raised a record £65,000 for essential church repairs, renovation and restoration, preserving them for future generations.

Co-ordinator Geoffrey Wort said: “Ride and Stride is a fun day out, giving visitors a chance to see inside the walls of lots of beautiful historic churches, which are often shut.

“The sponsorship money earned goes towards ensuring these fabulous churches are updated and maintained for future generations.”

To find a sponsorship form, with options to visit participating churches by foot, bicycle, scooter, canoe, tandem, pogo stick, pushchair, roller blades or car, visit hihct.org.uk

The full list of participating churches is available at rideandstrideuk.org

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