Photographic Competition

Everyone enjoys seeing photographs of the day so please send us yours.  They will be published on the website and you may win £50 and see them featured in EDP.

We accept digital photographs but ask that they are high resolution. By sending them to us we assume that you are happy for them to be used in our publicity and on our website. You can send your images to us via:

  • Facebook – post your image on the Norfolk Churches Trust Facebook page by creating a new post ‘write something on this page’ and attach your photo
  • Twitter – give the Bike Ride a mention and post your pictures, use @SaveOurChurches in your tweet
  • Email – if you don’t use social media but would like to share your photographs with us you can send them as an attachment with an email to info@norfolkchurchestrust.org.uk
Photograph Gallery

The Lord Lieutenant’s Certificate

The Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, The Lady Dannatt MBE  has kindly agreed to sign a certificate bearing the name of the individual who has raised the most amount of money for the Bike Ride. The certificate is awarded to a different person each year. 2022 saw the inaugural presentation of the Lord Lieutenant’s Certificate in recognition of outstanding contribution to the event.  In another first, two certificates were awarded.  Firstly, to Mary Heather (pictured left) who in her 94th year raised £15,000, with half of the proceeds going to Burnham Thorpe, All Saints, where she plays the organ.  Mary will be doing the bike ride again this year, but by car with her nephew.  Unfortunately, she was unable to attend the presentation, but her certificate was delivered to her by Charles Inglis, Chairman of the Bike Ride Committee.

The second recipient  was Anthony Meynell, who for his 70th birthday set himself the task of visiting 70 churches on the day.  Well, he managed that and two more for good measure, raising more than £10,000 in the process.  He told us of the amount of reconnaissance and planning, which sounded like a military operation,  involved in such a challenge and how tricky it can be to find some of our rural churches.  He expressed his thanks to a friend who started the bike ride at 6.15am with him, to provide the photographic evidence of visiting churches before they officially opened and to his daughter and her boyfriend who assisted with the afternoon session.  He also expressed his special thanks to his wife Debbie for her support. After hearing of nonagenarian Mary’s feat, he said he may be tempted to do an 80 for 80 challenge!  Anthony’s certificate was presented to him by The Very Revd Dr Andrew Braddock, Dean of Norwich on 31st August at Prior’s Hall, Norwich Cathedral.

The Lord Lieutenant's Certificate

The Most Improved Church

Each year the church which has increased the amount of money raised during the Bike Ride the most is awarded £1000 by Norfolk Churches Trust.

Filby All Saints were the recipients of the £1,000 cheque for the Most Improved Church in 2022.  Attendees from the church included current churchwardens and Martin Moore who had fulfilled that role for 48 years.   Treasurer Bernard Chase collected the cheque on behalf of the church.  He expressed his, and the Rev’d Jo Wood’s, thanks to the Trust for their support.

He said that the prize would be used to secure an internet connection for the church which would enable them to place the church even more at the heart of the community.  Filby will be taking part in the bike ride again this year; but have promised to let another church have a shot at the Most Improved Church prize.

The cheque is given to a different church each year, and this year took place at Prior’s Hall, Norwich Cathedrl, with the presentation being made by The Very Revd Dr Andrew Braddock, Dean of Norwich.

The Most Improved Church
From left to right Bernard Chase, Susan Smith, Vivien Moore, Martin Moore, Trish Durden, and Barbara Gillham

Wall of Fame

The ten people who visit the most churches by bicycle on the day of the Bike Ride will have their name recorded on our Wall of Fame. Last year first place was a draw between Susannah Towning and Amanda Marshall who visited 72 churches! An extraordinary effort on both their parts.

Wall of Fame
Wall of fame

Win £1,000 for your church

Don’t forget that we are offering £1,000 prize for the most improved church. In other words the church which shows the most improvement in its Bike Ride fundraising compared to last year. This is a chance to make a substantial difference to your church’s finances in a year when many have suffered through lack of money from the Collection plate.

St Margaret's Burnham Norton – winner of £1,000 in 2020. Photo courtesy of Simon Knott

Children’s Activity Sheets

You can encourage your children to look a little harder when they are visiting the churches with our activity sheets. Print out the sheets and take them with you for the children to complete. They can be scanned and emailed to editorial@knifebox.co.uk and we will reward their enthusiasm with a prize!

Download Activity Sheets
Children's activity sheets preview