Golden Charter team raises over £4k in charity cycle in CEO’s memory

Golden Charter has raised more than £4,000 for two UK veteran’s charities through a ‘Pedal to Paris’ charity cycle, just a week after the sudden passing of its CEO, Charlie Norman. The money raised for the funeral plan provider’s long-standing charity partners, The Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland, was a result of a fundraising push by Golden Charter’s national sales manager and the late CEO as they prepared to complete a four-day cycling challenge from London to Paris. Norman, who tragically passed away just one week before the event, had been training and fundraising for the event for many months alongside colleague Steven Driscoll. Together, they raised a joint total of £4,036, surpassing their original target of £3,580. The 265-mile trip lasted four days, beginning on 5 September 2024 in South-East London and ending in Paris on 8 September 2024 as Les Invalides, the traditional French home of veteran care. A service of remembrance was held the following morning around the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe. Funeral director Julian Walker, of A B Walker and Son in Reading, also took part in memory of Norman, while raising more than £2,500 for the Royal British Legion. Since the charity partnership began, Golden Charter and its funeral director partners have raised more than £800,000 for the Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland. Driscol said: “Supporting the Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland meant a great deal to Charlie, and he was passionately devoted to our partnership with them. “Pedalling to Paris was undoubtedly a challenge, even more so than anticipated when I signed up, but I was immensely proud to represent Golden Charter and ride in Charlie’s memory.” Walker added: “The event closed with all riders coming together for a celebration dinner, where a member of the Royal British Legion team paid tribute to Charlie and made a toast to his memory. After a very wet and windy four days on the bike, it was very moving to remember Charlie with our fellow riders on the way; a very poignant moment that I’ll always remember.” Ben France, head of Corporate Partnerships for the Royal British Legion, concluded: “I would like to thank Steven and Julian for their incredible fundraising efforts during this year’s Pedal to Paris, and pay tribute to Charlie’s unwavering support for our partnership. “At what must be a terribly sad time for Charlie’s family and colleagues at Golden Charter, we’re immensely grateful for our longstanding partnership which has helped transform the lives of so many veterans and their families.”