CYCLISTS are getting ready for a charity bike ride this September, to help continue the support and maintenance of local churches.

Ride+Stride invites contenders to try and visit as many churches in Wiltshire as possible by both bike and foot, and a team representing Salisbury Cathedral will be taking part for their third year.

On Saturday, September 8, a team made up of Cathedral staff and members of the congregation will be just one of the hundreds of teams across the country taking part in the day event.

The team are hoping to raise a similar figure to last year, where they finished with around £2,000.

So far the team has six cyclists and three walkers on the team, including Gary Price and his two sons who say they will give the ride their "best shot", after Garry and 17- year- old Harry reached a total of 30 churches last year.

Gary, Clerk of Works said: "My youngest, Archie, is a big fan of cycling and he’s pretty good but I reckon doing 30 churches may be too much – it’s a round trip of about 50 miles.

"So we have decided to set our sights on 27 churches and if we still feel up to it when we have done that, we will tackle the last three.”

The total funds are split between the preservation of the cathedral as part of the cathedral's repair and restoration programme, and the Wiltshire Historic Churches Trust.

For more information or to join the team, email Natalie Downing at n.downing@salcath.co.uk, or to donate visit: justgiving.com/companyteams/salcathridestride18