A Ludgershall vicar is set to cover a 70-mile round trip of local churches in order to raise funds to get a stained glass window in his Church.

The Reverend Tim Laundon will be cycling between Winchester, Romsey, North Baddesley, Salisbury and Ludgershall in order to raise funds for the window at St James’ Church. Each site he will visit has art produced by artist Sophie Hacker, who is also working on the current project.

“We are tremendously excited by the progress of the stained glass window,” St James’ Church said. “Please support the project and Tim in this cycling-offering to raise awareness and funds to complete the installation!”

The vicar’s trip will see him start in Ludgershall on June 13, before setting off towards Winchester Hospital. In the chapel he will see the Pentecost Cross, commissioned from Sophie in 2013. Next stop will be Winchester Cathedral, where Sophie installed a new altar frontal 'The Miracle of the Wedding at Cana' in January this year. This silk frontal was made to Sophie's design by the Cathedral Broderers.

He will then head south to see the Baptism Window in St John The Baptist Church in North Baddesley. This was Sophie's first stained-glass window, begun in 2011, and uses a symbolic language to explore the Baptism of Christ, with imagery such as the river, the holy spirit, resurrection and glory.

He then heads west to Romsey Abbey, to see Sophie's stained-glass window to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the nursing reformer who grew up in nearby Embley Park. The window depicts the moment Nightingale heard the call of God on her life. The work was commissioned by members of Nightingale's family and anonymous donors. It was installed in October 2020, delayed for six months by Covid lockdowns.

From there, the final stop is at Sarum College in Salisbury to see the Sarum Cross, made by Sophie for the Stewards of the Earth exhibition in 2013, before returning to Ludgershall via Holy Trinity Church in Tidworth.

On his return, supporters will meet him by Wellington Academy to cover the last kilometre of his ride alongside him, before he is welcomed back with churchyard coffee and cake.

All the money raised by the project will go to the stained glass window fund. It can be donated through putting a labelled envelope through the letter box of the rectory at 10 St James Street, or by donating online at: https://pay.collctiv.com/tims-sponsored-bike-ride-1971