Taking it in her stride: Bishop Karen’s 20-church Poole walking challenge

Bishop Karen is striding out to raise money to support churches in Dorset by walking between 20 churches across Poole in one day.

She is undertaking her 20-church challenge as part of Ride + Stride, an annual event organised to raise funds for historic churches and chapels. Participants walk, cycle or otherwise travel between places of worship, raising money to help support the repair and preservation of historic church buildings.

This year’s Ride + Stride takes place on Saturday 12 September. Bishop Karen will set out from the Church of the Good Shepherd in Herbert Avenue at 8:30am, completing a zigzag route of around 13 miles through the town before finishing at St James in Church Street in the afternoon. The churches on her route represent a range of Christian denominations, including Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic and United Reformed Church congregations.

Bishop Karen is raising money through a JustGiving page in support of charity the Dorset Historic Churches Trust, which organises Ride + Stride in the county and provides grant aid towards essential repairs to Dorset’s Christian churches of all denominations.

Bishop Karen said:

“I’m really looking forward to taking part in Ride + Stride this year and visiting 20 churches across Poole. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see and celebrate the different Christian communities that are part of the town, while also raising money to help care for the many beautiful historic churches across Dorset that are such an essential part of our shared history and heritage.”

All are welcome to join Bishop Karen as she undertakes her 20-church challenge, and she hopes that people will get behind her by supporting her JustGiving page, Karen Gorham is fundraising for Dorset Historic Churches Trust. Every donation will help the Dorset Historic Churches Trust continue its work preserving and caring for the county’s historic churches and chapels for generations to come. Details of how to sign up for this year’s Ride + Stride are available on the Dorset Historic Churches Trust website, www.dhct.org.uk.

Join Bishop Karen on her Ride + Stride route:

Starting 8:30am on Saturday 12 September at Church of the Good Shepherd, Herbert Avenue, Poole, followed by:

• Our Lady of Fatima, Rosemary Road
• Gateway Church, Ringwood Road
• St Clements Church, White Close, Newtown
• Baptist Church, Buckland Road
• St John’s, Ashley Road   
• St Aldhelm’s, Branksome
• All Saint’s, Weston Road
• Church of the Transfiguration , Chaddesley Glen 
• Holy Angel’s, Lilliput
• St Luke’s, Parkstone
• St Dunstan, St Osmond’s Road 
• St Peter’s, Parkstone
• Parkstone United Reformed Church, Commercial Road
• St Mary, Longfleet
• St Mary’s Catholic Church, Wimborne Road
• Longfleet Baptist Church, Wimborne Road
• Poole Methodist – The Spire, High Street
• United Reformed Church, Skinner Street
• St James, Church Street