HUNDREDS of people are set to raise funds for the county’s historic churches at an annual event this Saturday.

Last year Ride & Stride, held on the second Saturday in September, raised more than £70,000 - a record, for Hampshire & the Islands Historic Churches Trust .

Organisers are looking for people to donate or being sponsored to bike, walk, ride or travel by car to churches between 10am-6pm.

For how to take part and churches to visit is on its website – www.hihct.org.uk - Ride & Stride.

Over the last three years, thanks to help from hundreds of people, the trust has increased the total available for grants by 40 per cent to support the repair, maintenance of churches in Hampshire.

The trust says: “If people wish to see these architectural and historical gems remain as part of our cultural heritage and our landscape, irrespective of whether they attend church or not, they need to support them. They are a repository of our local history as well as being places of peace and spiritual refreshment. Our church buildings, still in use today, need help as much as our stately homes.”