During Pedal to Paris 2026, through roadside videos, WhatsApp messages and photographs, the Auctus Management Group and RSS Infrastructure team brought supporters along for a ride that helped take seven years of fundraising beyond £100,000.
Somewhere between the hills, the biting wind and another stretch of rain, a message arrived that made a difficult day feel considerably better.
The team had reached its £16,000 fundraising target.
It was Day 2 of the Royal British Legion’s Pedal to Paris 2026. For the six riders representing Auctus Management Group and RSS Infrastructure, there were still plenty of miles ahead. But the news provided fresh encouragement: people back home were following, donating and willing them on.
By the end of the challenge, donations had passed £16,500. Across seven Pedal to Paris rides, the companies have now raised more than £100,000 for the Royal British Legion.
Those figures are something to celebrate. The messages and moments captured along the way help explain why they matter.
A reminder of who the miles were for
During the event, RSS Infrastructure Managing Director Sean Harrison introduced supporters to a fellow rider through the team’s WhatsApp group.
“Meet Charlie,” he wrote.
Sean explained that Charlie, a former member of the military who had been caught in a bomb blast, was completing his second Pedal to Paris on a three-wheeled cycle. His message highlighted the support the Royal British Legion provides to people like Charlie, before ending with a straightforward appeal:
“For those that have donated, thanks. If you can, please do. If you can’t, just cheer me on.”
It was a brief update, but it brought the purpose of the fundraising into focus.
The Royal British Legion supports serving personnel, veterans and their families. Behind that description are individual people and practical needs: help through financial hardship, support with recovery and mobility, and assistance when life becomes difficult.
Meeting someone on the road gave that purpose a human face.
Bringing the journey home
The 2026 team comprised Richard Toy, Sean Harrison, Ryan Spence, Steven Broadfield, James Voisey and Darren Simms.
Their route took them from Biggin Hill through Kent and northern France, finishing in central Paris after four days of cycling.
Along the way, their phones became a connection to everyone following from home.
Richard recorded regular video updates. Riders shared photographs and messages whenever they could. Those contributions went through WhatsApp to the social media team, who turned a steady flow of material into posts as close to real time as possible.
Supporters could see the journey unfolding: the conditions, the progress, the people and the moments that made each day different. They could respond while the team was still out there, adding encouragement to the next stage of the ride.
Keeping pace with the incoming content was a challenge in itself — although the riders tackling hills in wind and rain might reasonably claim to have had the tougher job.
The enthusiasm travelled in both directions. Updates gave colleagues, families, sponsors and friends a way to feel involved, while their messages gave the cyclists a lift.
As Richard reflected:
“The messages we received throughout the four days gave the riders a real lift.”
A village welcome with a lasting meaning
One of the most memorable stops came in Auchy-la-Montagne.
The village was liberated by British soldiers on 8 September 1944. For around 30 years, residents have welcomed Pedal to Paris cyclists with food, wine and hospitality as an expression of their continuing gratitude.
This year, people of all ages came out again.
Amid the physical demands of the ride, that welcome offered time to pause and appreciate the history connecting the communities along the route with the charity’s work today.
Remembrance was woven through the journey, with commemorations along the way and a final ceremony beneath the Arc de Triomphe.
Twenty-eight sponsors, one very distinctive jersey
From Day 2, the team rode in bespoke jerseys carrying the logos of 28 supporting businesses and organisations.
The design attracted attention from other participants and gave the sponsors a visible presence throughout the challenge — on the road, in photographs and across the team’s social media coverage.
Their contribution was part of a much wider collective effort. Suppliers, partners, professional advisers, colleagues, friends and families all helped the fundraising grow.
Passing £100,000 across seven rides reflects that sustained generosity. It is a milestone built through repeated support, year after year.
There was another team whose work deserved recognition, too: the Royal British Legion’s Ride Captains, mechanics, medics, outriders, rider support crews and logistics staff. Their work kept hundreds of cyclists supported and the event moving through four demanding days.
Together for the final kilometres
On the last morning, the riders left Beauvais in four groups. As Paris approached, the wider field came together into one peloton for the final kilometres into the city.
After days of effort, the finish brought an emotional welcome from waiting family and friends.
The Remembrance ceremony beneath the Arc de Triomphe then offered a fitting conclusion: a moment to reflect on the reason everyone had made the journey.
The Royal British Legion’s own message afterwards captured the shared achievement, thanking everyone who had ridden, crewed or volunteered. Early starts and difficult miles had become friendships and memories.
Could the next team be bigger?
The conversation continued after the bicycles stopped.
People who had followed the updates began asking how they could get involved in a future ride. Seeing the experience unfold had made participation feel more tangible.
With different riding groups and speeds, there are options for cyclists beyond the fastest participants. Richard hopes that interest will lead to an even larger Auctus and RSS Infrastructure team next time.
For now, there is plenty to appreciate: six riders completing a demanding challenge, more than £16,500 raised in 2026, and a cumulative contribution exceeding £100,000.
And, through a stream of messages, photographs and videos, a much larger group of people got to share something of the journey.
You can support the team’s fundraising through the Auctus Management Group and RSS Infrastructure donation page.
With special thanks to our 28 sponsors
ADVANCE, Ashby Electrical Limited, Autolec CCTV Ltd, Ballycommon, Bond Timber, Chester Rose Hampshire, Dawsongroup, Explore, Factory Plant Projects Ltd, Haslehursts Chartered Accountants, Heeney Civils, Infocus Resources Ltd, innDex, ISS Ltd, Jobson James Rail, Kent Plant Services, Lawton Tools (Rail Products), Primas Law, Rail Forum, Reflex Fleet Solutions, Scott Parnell Ltd, Shannon Rail Services Limited, Signal Global, Skelly & Co., Survey Solutions, Torrent Trackside Limited, Truflame Welding Equipment Ltd and West Midland RFCA.