Communities in the Clay Cross and Chester Green areas of Derbyshire are being invited to share in a barbeque and other fun events with the Rt Revd Dr Alastair Redfern, Bishop of Derby, and his wife Caroline, as they cycle along their sponsored charity bike ride route on Saturday, September 8th.

The Bishop and his wife have been in training for many weeks to take part in the annual bike ride event, organised by the Derbyshire Churches & Chapels Preservation Trust. It attracts hundreds of cyclists every year to raise money for the preservation and development of church buildings across the county. Cyclists are encouraged to stop and visit participating churches along the way and at two of the Bishop’s stops, there will be events held for the local community.

The Bishop is keen to draw attention to the significance and usefulness of church buildings in their communities and hopes that by taking part in the bike ride, he can highlight the issues of maintaining and developing churches so that they can serve their communities better. His route begins at Morton at 9.30am, where the Bishop, his wife and other guests will have breakfast.

After a short service at 10am at Holy Cross Church, in Morton, the High Sherriff of Derbyshire, Mr Roger Wardle, will signal the start of the Bishop’s route. With Caroline, the Bishop will cycle to Danesmoor, for a preview of the opening of the Barnabas Centre at 11.45am, a new church and community centre which has been built from scratch. Local MP Natascha Engel, who has supported the development, is expected to be present at this visit.

The next stop will be at St Bartholomew’s Church, in Clay Cross, at approximately 12noon, and visitors can expect a barbeque, a bouncy castle and a rock band playing. The Clay Cross mountain bike team will accompany the Bishop for part of his journey too. All are welcome to this event.

The Bishop will then travel by van, kindly loaned by one of the commercial sponsors, National Windscreens, to the south of the county where he will continue on a route from St Osmund’s church, in Derby through the city via the Cathedral to a major event at 5pm, at St. Paul’s church, in Chester Green. There, a bouncy castle, fun races and another barbeque will be some of the activities available to visitors. There will also be a free prize draw to win a haircut and massage, donated by Derby city centre salon, Sally Montague.

There are around 20 commercial sponsors backing the Bishop, including the Derbyshire Building Society, Samways, Moore Large, Nissan, Aston Martin, BHS, Woolworths, Westfield Shopping Centres, Origination, Able Design and Plantscape. Firms are donating equipment, cash or other services to support the fundraising.

Bishop Alastair said: “Caroline and I are really looking forward to the bike ride which we have been training for during the last few months. I’m hoping other cycling participants will join us at the various events and especially, that the communities in Clay Cross and Chester Green will come and share in the barbeques. It’s free, but perhaps visitors might consider making a contribution to the cause.

“Funds are needed to help develop our churches for better use in our communities and there is a great deal of potential in what churches can offer to local community groups of all kinds. Often it is down to congregations to fund development out of their own pockets, as well as maintain these ancient buildings, which in many cases are magnificent examples of architecture. This charity helps to ease that burden, preserving and cultivating these sacred, holy and very useful spaces for generations to come.”

More details about the Bishop’s bike ride, his route, the stops he will be making and the events can be found here. Details of how to sponsor the Bishop are also given.

ENDS