A Suffolk MP will be cycling to raise money for a village's church refurbishment.
James Cartlidge MP, who represents South Suffolk, will be participating in this year's Ride and Stride, a national event born in the county to fund-raise for local churches, for the fifth time in a row.
This time around he will be cycling between his constituency's churches to raise money to fund the refurbishment of St Andrew’s, in Great Cornard.
Mr Cartlidge said: "They [the Ride and Stride events] are always a fun occasion for the whole community to engage in, on bike, by foot or at the wheel of a classic car.
"This year I’m pedalling for St Andrew’s, Great Cornard, where they are already flat-out fund-raising for their exciting project to build a community hub.
"I look forward to doing my bit to help."
The annual event is a main source of income for the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust, which makes grants to churches and chapels of all denominations for repair and restoration costs.
Last year, the event raised some £250,000, with Mr Cartlidge raising more than £1,000, primarily for St Mary's Church, in Hadleigh.
The Rev Chris Ramsey, the vicar at St Andrew’s, said the refurbishment works, for which the church already had permission, would include a toilet in the back of the church, levelled access, seating replacement, reconfiguring the gallery, and redoing the kitchen to better host people and events.
The total cost for these refurbishments has been projected at £270,000, with the church having already raised around £180,000 through legacies, individual donations, and grant funding.
Mr Ramsey added: "The project has been on the board for quite a long time — still quite a bit to go but we're on the way."
He also said the church would keep fund-raising and applying for grants in hopes of starting the work at the back end of next year, at which point it could take around three months to complete.
So far he has managed to raise £260, just over the halfway line to his £500 target.
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Published by Suffolk News.
