SWIMMING, pedal pushing, foot pounding Canon Ian Greenhalgh who has raised thousands of pounds to support his and other churches, is to retire as vicar for Clapham with Keasden and Austwick and Eldroth and area dean of Bowland and Ewecross Deanery.

The former military chaplain is to hold a celebration of his 40 years in the ministry - 20 years as a military chaplain and over 13 years as a vicar - at St James Church, Clapham, on Sunday, July 30, at 3pm.

Joining Ian and his wife Melanie and family at the community celebration will be his two brothers, Phillip, also a vicar, and Malcolm and his 94 year-old mum Doris.

"It has been paradise serving this community. I can't imagine anywhere else like it when walking out of my door into this fabulous scenery.

"So I want a celebration including the whole community.We'll be having music and at the end I've arrange for some beer from Settle Brewery," said Ian.

Ian, 68, has been vicar of his parishes since April 2004 and area dean since 2005 having served as a military chaplain from 1984 to 2004.

He served in Berlin between1987-90, the Falklands for four months in 1992, with Nato between 1999-2002 and detachments included Cyprus, Bosnia and Kosovo, Iraq, U.S.A, Romania, Norway and South Africa.

Since arriving at Austwick, he has used his passion for sport to raise cash for the churches by running marathons, including London marathons, the original Marathon to Athens, cycling round the deanery, completing a triathlon in the Lake District as well as three coast to coast bike rides.

Ian, whose father was a vicar, was ordained at Liverpool Cathedral in 1977, having worked for some years in banking, and his first appointment was as a team minister in St Helens, moving to Wigan as vicar in 1980.

It was while he was in Wigan that he became chaplain for the Aire Training Corps which eventually led to him joining the RAF.

As a retired clergy he has a licence from the Bishop of Leeds to serve in the diocese and similarly he has a licence from the Bishop of Europe to help when needed in Europe.