When war veteran Captain Tom Moore went on a mission to walk laps of his garden for our Covid-19 Urgent Appeal, no-one could have guessed where his fundraising would lead. He’s smashed milestone after milestone as his total rose into the tens of millions of pounds and made history as the most raised by an individual fundraiser on JustGiving.
Ellie Orton, Chief Executive of NHS Charities Together, said:
“Captain Moore is a true inspiration. What he has achieved in bringing people together, and highlighting the appeal, has been remarkable. He, like so many people at the moment, wanted to give back to NHS staff and volunteers for their tireless work and has managed something absolutely incredible as a result.
We couldn’t be more grateful and impressed with everything he has done. Thank you to everyone that has supported him in his 100 laps and, of course, to him personally for the difference he will make to frontline staff, volunteers and patients during this incredibly difficult time.”
The beginning
Captain Moore’s plan was to walk 100 laps in total in time for his birthday on April 30.
With the support of his family, a JustGiving fundraising page was set up online in April 2020 with a target to raise £1,000.
His daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and son-in-law Colin Ingram wrote on the page: “We set this page up, without any idea that it would become as highly visited as it is, and more of a ‘heartwarming’ story for the local region. It is completely blown up, and we are so proud to be representing Tom and his 100th birthday walk for the NHS.”
The original £1,000 target was extended multiple times as the nation gave generously and watched in amazement as his totaliser spiralled upwards to the tens of millions of pounds.
Capturing the nation
A beacon of hope amid the coronavirus crisis, Captain Moore’s positive demeanour and determination brightened a gloomy pandemic for many. He captured the hearts of the nation with appearances on national TV, and earned the support and admiration of BBC and ITV presenters as well as people of all ages across the length and breadth of the country.
A fundraising hero
As his fundraising rose, his popularity also grew to extraordinary levels. He became the single most successful individual fundraiser on the JustGiving online fundraising platform and hashtags #walkwithtom and #tomorrowwillbeagoodday trended, inspired by his actions.
It has been announced he will be guest of honour at the opening of NHS Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate via video link from his home, and his single ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ with Michael Ball and The NHS Voices of Care Choir made Number 1 in the charts.
Captain Tom Moore, we salute you.
Caring for the carers
Funds raised by Captain Tom Moore contribute to the NHS Charities Covid-19 Urgent Appeal which aims to raise £100million to support NHS staff and volunteers caring for Covid-19 patients.
Funds are distributed to the NHS frontline in grants to NHS charities, to provide somewhere comfortable so staff and volunteers can take a break, access to nutritious food and drink, use of electronic-tablets so patients, staff and volunteers can stay in contact with loved ones, and counselling support to protect mental health and help staff and volunteers process what they are dealing with.
Some of the funding is also going towards helping partnerships outside hospitals, such as hospices, community healthcare and social care, making sure patients leaving hospital have access to the care they need to recover.
In the longer term it will also fund programmes to help staff and volunteers recover fully once the crisis has abated, reducing the long-term impact on them and the people they care about.
Support Captain Tom Moore
Donate to his fundraiser via this link
About the Covid-19 Urgent Appeal
The NHS Charities Together Urgent Appeal acknowledges and supports NHS staff and volunteers caring for COVID-19 patients. It has been put together in liaison with NHS England and national bodies, our member NHS charities and national giving platforms. Click here to donate.
