11/09/2026
Rev Jane Durham is cycling across Somerset over five days visiting 15 St Mary Magdalene churches – the same name as her own church in Keinton Mandeville - to help make the church more accessible for all, including wheelchair users and those with pushchairs.
Jane was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2013, often struggling to balance well and needing a stick to walk. She explains: “For many years I loved cycling in my previous parish in Liverpool but thought that my long-distance cycling days were over as I became unwell.
“When my dad died a few years after my diagnosis, I came across his electric bike in the shed. I decided to give cycling a go again with the aid of a battery.
“With the grace of God, time and a great deal of strength training I discovered the joys of electric assisted cycling and my health started to improve. With further help from my physio, the gym and lots of hours training I decided to take on this fundraising challenge to help raise funds for our small rural church.”
To make changes to the church, which is a listed building, and to enable it to host events and services for the community, the PCC needs to raise over £50,000.
Jane continued: “We’re only a congregation of 25 in a rural setting and it can seem quite overwhelming to contemplate raising such a large amount. That’s where the idea for the Vicar on a Bike campaign came from. I thought why not raise the profile of our fundraising efforts and also take on quite a personal challenge for myself. The changes will also enable us to host events and services for the community and congregation.”
The sponsored bike ride has so far raised £11,000 and Jane plans to finish the ride on Tuesday, 15 September visiting Great Elms, Chewton Mendip and Wookey Hole.
“This is the best thing I’ve done in years!” said Jane. “People in every church I have visited have come out to welcome me and cheer me on. And people have been extraordinarily generous in their donations from all over the county. It’s really caught their imaginations.
“My branded t-shirt has sparked conversations at the gym where I have been training – most didn’t know I was a vicar until now. I’ve had to have a huge amount of faith to do this and I’m so thrilled with the results. I hope this inspires other small churches that they too can make a difference!”
Find out more about the Vicar on the Bike challenge by visiting the church's website.
