On Thursday 3rd September I shall be setting out from Greenwich with 249 others on a marathon cycle ride to Paris. We'll arrive at the Arc de Triomphe on Sunday 6th, having covered 440 km. For me this is a real personal challenge in two regards. First, before I started this venture I'd never cycled more than an hour in one go: this trip will see us in the saddle for at least six hours a day. Secondly, I had an operation on my collarbone in June, having broken it in an unrelated two-wheeled incident.

My aim is to raise at least £1,500 for the Royal British Legion, who help the men and women who risked their lives in many conflicts, including Northern Ireland, the Gulf War, Bosnia and the current campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Legion works to support them, their dependants and families, and like all charities they need every penny they can raise. If you'd like to know more, you can visit their website at www.britishlegion.org.uk.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

Chris