Info for Churches

Ride + Stride: Info for places of worship

Organiser's Brief

Thank you for being a local organiser for this year’s Ride + Stride. Ride + Stride plays a truly vital role in enabling us to continue helping historic places of worship of all denominations throughout Sussex. Last year we raised nearly £50k through Ride + Stride.

The following notes and links are here to assist you but if you have any queries, please get in touch via our Contact page or by emailing contact@sussexhistoricchurchestrust.org.uk.

First steps

Get your church/chapel signed up!!! Dozens of places of worship open their doors all day during Ride + Stride but if that's not possible, please feel free to select specific hours.

The easiest way to register your church is to check the details we already have for you in our password-protected 'church listings' area. You can amend your details on this page as necessary. Please contact us for the password if you have not already received it by email.

Alternatively, you can fill out our church registration form.

If you cannot open on Ride + Stride day, then please a) ensure your details are correct in the password-protected area AND b) ensure that there is a sign-in sheet available for sponsored participants to 'check in'.

All places of worship who took part in the last Ride + Stride should already be on our register with details supplied last year (eg open and manned, open but unmanned etc). If you're not sure whether your church is registered, please check our list from 2024 or visit our password-protected area.

If you have any queries, please contact contact@sussexhistoricchurchestrust.org.uk. We will need the following details:

Church name, town and postcode
Level of Participation:
- open & manned
- open but not manned
- closed but can provide sign-in sheet
Your contact details

Publicise the event

Publicise the event as much as possible in advance – at services, in meetings, in your local newsletters, on parish and other local noticeboards and on social media to encourage fundraising participants.

On the day, ensure that signage is clearly visible so participants & visitors know where to go and what to do.

Download and print

Please download and print out sign-in sheets

On the day... if you're open

The most important element is to provide sign-in sheets for participants.

If you can, please provide drinking water. If you are able to supply additional refreshments such as cups of tea, that's great!

If you have toilets at the church or nearby, please ensure that participants can find these easily.

On the day... if you're closed

If your church is unmanned, please ensure that the sign-in sheet is placed near the entrance prior to the start of the event.

If you have available toilets at the Church or nearby, please ensure that participants can find these easily.

Sign-in Sheets

Post-event checklist

Remind all participants to return their sponsor forms to you as as soon as possible.

Dealing with the money

Please read the following carefully. You can also download these Payment Instructions as a PDF.

Step 1

Please collect ALL the money from your sponsored Ride + Stride participants for each place of worship. These funds should then be split 50:50 between the nominated place of worship and the Sussex Historic Churches Trust.

Step 2

Send a cheque, made out to Sussex Historic Churches Trust, for 50% of the total raised .
We need the following details when you send in your cheque:
- Local Organiser’s contact details: Full name, address, email, telephone
- Nominated place of worship: name and address
- Eligible Gift Aider: The name and address (including postcode) for ONE Gift Aider who raised funds through Ride + Stride sponsorship.

Please note re Gift Aid: We do not need a full list of sponsored participants. In order for the Trust to claim Gift Aid, it is sufficient for us to supply the Inland Revenue with a single name/address of an eligible Gift Aider. We are permitted to attribute all the funds raised to this single name.

Please note regarding cheques: Please ensure that your cheque is made out to ‘Sussex Historic Churches Trust’. Banks will not accept endorsements on crossed cheques. Charities Aid Foundation vouchers are acceptable.

Step 3

Please ensure you post your cheque to the Ride + Stride Treasurer by October 31 at the latest.
Please do not send your cheque by recorded or registered post as there is unlikely to be someone in to sign at the time of delivery. To save costs we do not send out receipts.
Please ensure you keep a copy of the information.

If money is slow coming in send as much as you can by this date and the rest as soon as possible, repeating the procedure above.

Payment Instructions