It’s nearly time for Ride + Stride—and this year marks its 75th anniversary. Sam Slota-Newson and Ed Perks are getting back in the saddle for St Mary’s!

Our intrepid cyclists will make the 74-mile round trip from Wendens Ambo to Ely Cathedral: around six and a half hours of pedalling.

Why do we support the Friends of Essex Churches Trust each year? The Trust has awarded St Mary’s nine grants over the years, most recently contributing an extraordinary £10,000 to our Serving All project.

Best of all, half of everything Sam and Ed raise will come directly to St Mary’s, while the other half will provide grants to help care for churches throughout Essex.

Please reward their remarkable effort by sponsoring them. Every donation will help secure the future of historic churches—including our own.

Sponsor Sam and Ed here: bit.ly/4bUAWFg

Churches and Chapels on the Air:  In addition to a warm welcome at St Mary’s church on 12 September, there will be a chance to see and talk to Robert Wilson who will be running an amateur radio station from the church porch using a temporary aerial set up in the churchyard.  Curious about what a ham radio station looks like?  How does the operator contact people all over the globe?