Retired insurance broker raises £4,000 for Royal British Legion by cycling

At the beginning of September retired Hastings insurance broker, Ian Mantel, cycled 460Km from London to Paris in aid of the Royal British Legion. The ride took four days to complete and finished at the iconic Arc de Triomphe in the centre of Paris.

When Ian retired from Manor Insurance in 2022, he looked for a challenge to keep him fit and raise money for charity. As he had served in the 5 Queens TA in the early 1980's Ian decided to raise funds for Royal British Legion.

His first ride was in 2022 when he rode from London to Paris. In July this year he took part in Pedal to Ypres, commemorating the fallen in two World Wars. And he is just back from his third ride when he again completed the Royal British Legion Pedal to Paris.

In total his training and rides have covered over 4,000 miles in just 18 months and Ian has raised over £4,000 for Royal British Legion.

Ian says: "When I retired I wanted a goal to keep me fit and active whilst supporting a good cause. That is why I committed to the Royal British Legion Pedal to Paris. Having completed the ride last year I was bitten by the bug, so I committed to two rides this year."

He continued: "It's a real win-win. I am now fitter, both physically and mentally, whilst the Royal British Legion has benefitted financially. The Royal British Legion supports the armed forces community. It supports serving personnel, veterans and their families. It's a great charity to support".