Sponsored

Bike ’n Hike

An annual fundraising event

organised by

Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Historic Churches Trust

Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust Saving the Past for the Future

www.BedsHertsHCT.org.uk BHHCT Registered Charity No. 1005697

Bike Bike Bike Bike ’’’’n Hiken Hiken Hiken Hike in association with the national Ride & StrideRide & StrideRide & StrideRide & Stride

S p o n s o r e d Bike ’n Hike

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Contents

Page

2 What is the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Historic Churches Trust?

2 The aim of the Bike ‘n Hike

3 Terminology

3 How the Bike ‘n Hike works

3 Safety

3 On the day

4 Afterwards

4 Part of a wider family

5 Area and Church Organisers

5 Being a Church Organiser

6 Publicity

6 On the day

7 After the event

8 Appendix

Your Area Organiser is:

Name:

Address:

Telephone:

Email:

Please keep this guide for future reference

[2]

What is the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Historic Churches Trust?

The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Historic Churches Trust is a non-denominational body

formed to raise funds and make grants for the repair of buildings which are open for public

Christian worship within the two counties.

The Trust also exists to foster the interest taken by the community as a whole, whether

church-going or not, in its heritage of fine religious buildings.

BHHCT is one of a family of non-denominational county historic churches trusts which

organise sponsored cycle rides and walks between churches on the second Saturday in

September every year. In Beds. and Herts. the event is known as the Bike ’n Hike.

Holy Trinity, Throcking. A grant of £4,000 in 2008

towards the repair of the church tower.

St George of England, Toddington

Grants from BHHCT totalling £9,000 since 1993

The aim of the Bike ’n Hike

The aim of the sponsored Bike ‘n Hike is to raise money both for the Trust and for the

participating churches. Half of every cyclist’s and walker’s sponsor money goes to the Trust

and half goes to the church of their choice. Consequently, the more cyclists or walkers who

take part, then the greater the direct benefit to that church.

There is, of course, an indirect benefit because the more funds the Trust can raise, the more

it will be able to offer as grants in support of church repair projects across the two counties.

For information on how to apply for a grant, please visit the Trust’s website:

www.BedsHertsHCT.org.uk.

The Bike ‘n Hike is always held on the second Saturday in September. We started in 1992 and

are now bringing over 600 churches into the event each year throughout Bedfordshire and

Hertfordshire and raising over £100,000 from some 1,000 cyclists and walkers and their

generous sponsors. As well as being grateful to these individuals, the Trust really appreciates

the work of all the Area and Church Organisers who make this event possible.

[3]

Terminology

For complete clarity, in all our Bike ’n Hike documents, the word ‘church’ is used in the non-

denominational sense and includes churches and chapels of all denominations.

‘Bike’ means pedal cycle throughout. For safety reasons, the Bike ‘n Hike is not open to

motorcyclists.

How the Bike ‘n Hike works

• Cyclists and walkers plan their own itineraries with the help of a printed list of all the

participating churches in the two counties.

• Cyclists and walkers then ask their relations, friends and colleagues to sponsor them

so much for every church they visit between 10am and 6pm on the day. (Sponsorship

per church, rather than a lump sum, is more fun and will keep you going when you’re

tired!)

• Do tell your sponsors whether you will be cycling or walking and how many churches

you expect to visit. (A sponsor who thinks he is backing a walker in deep countryside

but then receives a claim for a cyclist, who has visited 30 churches in St. Albans, may

not sponsor you again!)

• Sponsors write down their name and the amount per church visited on the

sponsorship form provided. If they are able to gift aid, they must tick the box and give

their full address.

• Churches will be of all denominations and most will be open and manned on the day.

Any unmanned churches will display the ‘Register of Cyclists and Walkers’ outside so

that cyclists and walkers can record their visit

• Those who offer their services to man the churches on the day can also be sponsored.

Safety

Safety on the roads is paramount and, although the organisers cannot be responsible for

either cyclists or walkers, they do what they can to encourage safety. Before setting out, all

participants should familiarise themselves with the Highway Code and the importance of

safety headgear is emphasised. The Trust’s website, www.BedsHertsHCT.org.uk, has a link to

the cycling section of the online Highway Code.

On the day

From 10am onwards, cyclists and walkers go to their first church where whoever is on duty

will initial their sponsorship form in the first box, with the name of the church and the time.

The cyclist or walker signs the register in the church.

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There is time for a quick look round the church and the offer of a drink and biscuit will be

appreciated.

Cyclists and walkers have until 6pm, when the event finishes, to visit as many churches as

they can.

Cyclists outside Stevington Baptist Church.

BHHCT granted £1,000 towards the cost of repairing the roof

Afterwards

As soon as possible after the event, cyclists and walkers show their sponsorship forms with

the details of how many and which churches they visited, to their sponsors to collect their

money. The gift aid on contributions makes a significant difference to the amount raised.

Participants give the sponsorship forms and the money raised to the Church Organiser, who

sends everything to the Bike ’n Hike Treasurer. He banks the money and arranges for each

church’s half share to be sent to its nominated bank account by electronic transfer.

For example, a cyclist who gets 20 sponsors at 50p per church and visits 20 churches would

raise £10 from each sponsor, making £200. (A walker visiting 5 churches could ask for £2 per

church, giving the same result.) Ten cyclists and walkers raising £200 each would produce

£2,000 - £1,000 for the Trust and £1,000 for their church. If even half of that money has been

earmarked for gift aid by sponsors, the Trust will be able to claim a further sum of around

£250 for its funds for grants to churches. It soon mounts up!

Part of a wider family

Some thirty County Trusts hold similar sponsored events on the same day in September,

including all the counties adjacent to Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire – Buckinghamshire,

[5]

Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex, but not London. Some counties have different

names for the event, many using the term ‘Ride & Stride’.

Lists of churches in adjacent counties will be available on request from Area/Church

Organisers so participants will be able to cross boundaries and have their sponsorship forms

signed in the same way.

Area and Church Organisers

The Trust has 22 Area Organisers of the event. Their areas mostly correspond to the Church

of England Deaneries and contain, on average, some 20 parish churches and at least 10 other

churches and chapels. The Area Organiser has to recruit a Church Organiser for each one.

These Church Organisers have to see that their church is open and manned throughout the

day and encourage as many local cyclists and walkers as possible to take part.

The sponsored Bike ’n Hike is open to everyone. In fact, the more people from outside the

churches’ congregations taking part, the more successful we shall be in stimulating interest

in, and support for, our heritage of church buildings.

Signing in at St Mary’s Church, Meppershall, Beds

Being a Church Organiser

As soon as possible, Church Organisers should gain the support of their own church,

reminding everyone that half the money raised will be for the church’s own use.

If there are other churches nearby which might join in for the first time, the Area Organiser

needs to know before the end of April, so that they can be included in the published list of

churches which will be open on the day.

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Publicity:

Publicity for the Bike ’n Hike is key to finding the maximum number of potential cyclists and

walkers. Much material is provided through Area Organisers and a full list is attached as an

appendix.

Display the poster in prominent places: churches, shops, schools, parish notice boards,

libraries, etc. Posters will be available with the other documentation from June.

A version is available from April as an insert for the church magazine both in hard copy and

online. The Church Organiser’s name and telephone number need to be added to the insert.

It would also be helpful to write a paragraph or two for the magazine to give more detail of

the event and this could also be sent to the local newspaper.

A handout is available to give to potential cyclists and walkers. Why not make contact with

Youth Clubs, Guides, Scouts, Cycling Clubs, Cycle Shops, Young Farmers, Rotary Clubs,

Women’s Institutes, Ramblers Clubs or local businesses. They may all have people who

would like to cycle or walk to benefit their local church.

When people express interest in taking part, the Church Organiser should give them a

sponsorship form and the list of churches. The sooner they seek sponsorship – from parents,

friends, employers, colleagues, club-mates, etc. – the more money they can raise.

On the day:

Each participating church should be manned for the whole eight hours of the event. Rotas

should be drawn up of people who will sit in church to record visitors. These helpers should

be encouraged to seek sponsorship for their efforts on the day. Information and sponsorship

forms for helpers are available.

All visitors should be given a warm welcome. Thirsty cyclists and walkers appreciate a drink

and maybe something to nibble. They may also need the facilities.

Don Gates outside the church at

Stanstead St Margarets, Herts

A group of cyclists outside

St. Mary & St. Joseph RC Church, Boxmoor

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After the event:

After the day of the Bike ’n Hike, cyclists and walkers should collect the money from their

sponsors as soon as possible and hand the money and sponsorship forms to the Church

Organiser.

There is a remittance slip provided, known as the pink form. This form should be used to

send all the money (not just the Trust’s share), together with the sponsorship forms, to the

address on the form. The money should be sent as cheques made payable to the Beds. &

Herts. Historic Churches Trust (or Beds. & Herts. HCT). The church’s bank details must be

included on the pink form so that the church receives its half share.

The money and sponsorship forms can be sent as the Church Organiser receives them, or all

together, but a remittance slip must be included each time. More remittance slips can be

downloaded from www.felmersham.net/bhhct.htm.

The Treasurer of the Trust distributes the money received and normally the half share is sent

to nominated churches and chapels within a short time. In order to save time and money, no

formal acknowledgement of the monies will be sent. However, provided the details of the

church bank account are on the pink form, there will be an entry in the church’s bank

statement recording a credit from ‘Historic Churches’.

In due course, Church Organisers will receive a letter from their Area Organiser confirming

how much money has been raised overall. There will also be information about which

churches and chapels have received grants from the Beds. & Herts. Historic Churches Trust

during the previous year.

This group of walkers visited seven churches.

They are shown here outside Harrold URC chapel, Beds.

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Appendix

Documentation available through Area Organisers

BH1 A Guide to the Sponsored Bike ’n Hike

All you need to know about how the event works.

BH3 Bike ’n Hike Magazine Insert

Small poster to copy and insert into your church magazine – also available online:

www.felmersham.net/bhhct.htm

BH4 A4 Bike ’n Hike Poster

BH5 Sponsorship Form for Cyclists and Walkers

Church Organisers should fill in their name and contact details on both BH5 and

BH11 before distributing them to ensure that participants know where to take the

money they have raised. Spare forms should be left in church for use as extras on the

day.

BH6 List of Churches and Chapels Welcoming Visitors

One should be tucked inside every sponsorship form so that every cyclist and walker

gets one!

BH7 Stickers

For cyclists and walkers to use on the day.

BH8 Register of Cyclists and Walkers

For keeping a record of all cyclists and walkers who visit the church or chapel. To be

retained by the Church Organiser for checking purposes after the event.

BH10 Remittance Slip

Known as the pink form and to be used for sending sponsorship money to the address

on the form.

BH11 Information and Sponsorship Form for Church Helpers

BH12 Handout

A recruiting aid for distribution to potential cyclists and walkers.

This guide has been sponsored by:

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Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust Saving the Past for the Future

www.BedsHertsHCT.org.uk BHHCT Registered Charity No. 1005697

Bike Bike Bike Bike ’’’’n Hiken Hiken Hiken Hike in association with the national Ride & StrideRide & StrideRide & StrideRide & Stride

Doc Ref: BH1 Issue 3