Tandem Bike Charity set to take part in Gloucestershire’s 2019 Ride+Stride Event

Alex and Charlotte Reeves of Charlotte’s Tandems are set to take part in the 2019 Ride and Stride.

The pair from Gloucestershire took part in 2018 visiting 20 churches and chapels on their route and are looking to smash last year’s record this year!

The duo are part of the family which set up the charity Charlotte’s Tandems which lends tandem bicycles to people with disabilities who are incapable of safely cycling on their own. As an autism sufferer herself, Charlotte was the inspiration for the charity. Her parents Kate and Alex set it up after realising how happy cycling made Charlotte and how it could be incredibly beneficial to other people with disabilities.

Last year’s Ride and Stride event saw more than 560 people take part in raising a staggering £42,891 as they cycled, walked, drove or even rode horses between churches in the Gloucestershire area seeing how many churches they could visit in one day. Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust uses the funds raised by this event to fund vital refurbishments on churches in the area. Over the past 30 years, the Trust has given £2,615,350 in grants to 467 churches, funding important projects including roof repairs, restorations and improved disabled access.

Charlotte and Alex plan to take part again this year in the event which is being held on Saturday the 14th of September. Alex said “We love exploring lanes that we wouldn’t normally ride (or drive) down and visiting churches that we didn’t know existed. The bonus is a chocolate biscuit at a church in the middle of nowhere!”

Many families like Alex and Charlotte take part in Ride and Stride each year and the Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust rely on this dedicated support. If you would like to take part in this great family event, head to the Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust website www.ghct.org.uk in order to find out more. There are lots of great ways you can get involved whether it be being sponsored on the day for travelling between churches, acting as a welcome party at a church or holding your own sponsored event after Ride and Stride takes place.