The right stuff.

[Gob]

A 99-year-old war veteran has raised more than £5m for the NHS by aiming to walk 100 lengths of his back garden before his 100th birthday.



Capt Tom Moore, originally from Keighley in West Yorkshire, initially planned to raise £1,000 through the challenge.

However, after launching his campaign on 8 April and raising £70,000 in 24 hours, he extended his fundraiser and hit £1m on Tuesday morning. By 3.30pm he reached £2m, and passed £3m early in the evening.

Moore, who lives with his family in Bedfordshire, told the BBC: “I think that’s absolutely enormous. At no time when we started off with this exercise did we anticipate we’d get anything near that sort of money.

“It just shows that people have such high regard for matters of our National Health Service and it’s really amazing that people have paid so much money.

He is walking 10 laps of the garden a day with the help of his walking aid, and had hoped to hit 100 laps in time for his birthday on 30 April – but according to his daughter, Hannah, he is likely to reach his goal on Thursday.

Moore served in the second world war after being selected for officer training in 1940 and completed postings in India and Sumatra. He returned to work as an instructor at an armoured fighting vehicle school in Bovington, Dorset.



“Our brave nurses and doctors are frontline in this case … this time our army are in doctors and nurses uniforms and they’re doing a marvellous job,” Moore said.

His wife was ill for several years and died in 2006, while Moore had been treated for a broken hip and skin cancer, so he continued to feel a close connection with the NHS, his daughter said.

Hannah said although her father was overwhelmed when he raised £1m, he responded with a determination to walk more.

“He’s a typical Yorkshireman, so he’s very stoic, very controlled and takes everything in his stride,” she said. “We always knew that he was this incredible gem of a man, but we never had any idea that his story would capture the hearts of the nation.



“We thought we could give people a little bit of happy and we wanted to share a little bit about him, and it has just gone beyond even our wildest, wildest dreams.”

All the money Moore raises will be donated to NHS Charities Together to go towards wellbeing packs and rest and recuperation centres for staff on the frontline, as well as electronic devices for patients to communicate with their families while in isolation.

Ellie Orton, the chief executive of NHS Charities Together, said: “I think I join the rest of the country in being truly inspired and profoundly humbled by Capt Tom and what he’s achieved.

A fellow war veteran, Harry Billinge MBE, 94, also offered his support: “I’m very pleased for you. Carry on, you’re doing a good job. Carry on, old boy!”

Hannah said she was feeling the pressure to make Moore’s upcoming birthday a special one after they had to cancel his big party, while Moore has announced his determination to walk another 100 lengths if it means he can raise more money.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... ack-garden

[Lord Jim]

Good on him.

[Darren]

A role model from an era when what's now uncommon was common.

[BoSoxGal]

Good on him.

x2

[MGMcAnick]

He even made the local ABC affiliate's news. We're looking for some good news too.

[Sean]

[MajGenl.Meade]

Sean

I walk round my garden 10 times a day and I get bupkis. If anyone here want to sponsor me to do 100, PM me for an address to which you will send those $1200 checks with the name of Judas printed on 'em. Get 'em off your hands before you are contaminated!

[Gob]

A 99-year-old war veteran has walked 100 laps of his garden to raise £17m and counting for the NHS.



Captain Tom Moore originally aimed to raise just £1,000 for NHS Charities Together by completing laps of his garden before his 100th birthday.

But he has smashed his target after nearly 800,000 people made donations to his fundraising page.

As he finished the challenge earlier, he said: "I feel fine, I hope you're all feeling fine too."

Capt Tom told the BBC the total amount raised so far was "an absolutely fantastic sum of money".

"I never dreamt I would be involved in such an occasion as this," he said at the end of his final lap.

[BoSoxGal]

Sean

I walk round my garden 10 times a day and I get bupkis. If anyone here want to sponsor me to do 100, PM me for an address to which you will send those $1200 checks with the name of Judas printed on 'em. Get 'em off your hands before you are contaminated!

Are you a 99 year old war veteran?

Didn’t think so.

[MajGenl.Meade]

True but the effort's about the same

[TPFKA@W]

Weren't you born in 1815?

[MajGenl.Meade]

I'd forgotten. Old age you know. And I'm a war veteran!

There's a bigger problem though

[Gob]

Captain Tom Moore could get a Spitfire flypast for his 100th birthday in 13 days time as the amount he has raised for the NHS passes £20million.



A team of aircraft restorers from the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar hope to fly the plane past the World War Two hero's home as a 'small gesture' to celebrate his achievements.

'It will be a bit of a moral booster for us all really, to see a Spitfire in the sky,' Alex Monk 21, from the Hangar, told The Telegraph. 'It's been a symbol of freedom in the past and quite an icon for Tom.'

The plan is for the Spirit of Kent, which was built in 1945 and flew in the memorial flight for the Battle of Britain, to fly at 500 feet and 250mph over the former tank commander's home in the Bedfordshire village of Marston Moretaine. They are waiting for permission from the Department for Transport.



Britons up and down the country have been joining the Second World War hero for his morning walk, which has raised more than £20million through his JustGiving page and has been lauded for his actions with Boris Johnson's official spokesman last night hinting at a possible knighthood for the war veteran.

And this afternoon singer Michael Ball announced a charity single he recorded alongside Captain Moore, You'll Never Walk Alone, will be released today to help raise funds for the appeal which has smashed the Just Giving fundraising record by more than £5million.

The pair later recorded a duet of the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein tune, which has become an anthem for medical staff during the pandemic, featuring the NHS Voices of Care Choir.

The track features a spoken work introduction from Captain Moore, who says: 'Hold your head up high and don't be afraid of the dark.'

It comes as fans of Captain Moore have started uploading videos of themselves on social media under the hashtag #walkwithtom. Dozens have been sharing their walks this morning and showing their appreciation of the veterans heroic efforts.

[Gob]

Ray, I removed that image, please don't post other people's personal images without their permission.

[Gob]

Captain Tom Moore has been invited to open the Nightingale hospital in his native Yorkshire after he raised £25million for the NHS.



The Second World War hero will appear via video-link at the hospital next week to praise the efforts of doctors and nurses and say he has been 'amazed by the kindness and generosity of the UK public' .

The 99-year-old pensioner and former tank commander captured the nation's heart after announcing he would walk 100 lengths of his garden to raise £1,000 for the health service. He completed the walk ahead of schedule - on Thursday - and raised millions.

Captain Moore then joined forces with singer Michael Ball for a charity rendition of 1945 classic You'll Never Walk Alone, which has shot to the top of iTunes UK.



It has pipped Vera Lynn's stirring rendition of We'll Meet Again to the top spot, which was referenced by the Queen in her message to the nation.

At the opening of NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and Humber next week, in the Harrogate Convention Centre, he will say: 'I think the amount raised demonstrates just how much we all value the dedication and sacrifices made by our NHS workers.

'I have fought during a war and they are now fighting in a war too.

He will add: 'I'm honoured to be opening the NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and Humber and to get to thank many of the NHS workers directly.

'I know that having extra beds available for the sick, if needed will be reassuring to those workers, as it would have been to me when I was on the front line.'

The £25million raised so far by Captain Moore will buy food parcels and counselling sessions for NHS staff as well as electronic tablets to let patients talk to their loved ones.

The chairman of NHS Charities Together, Ian Lush, said its around 160 members had already received £35,000 each, with the money covering staff well-being and helping patients and their families.

Mr Lush told the BBC: 'For example we're paying for extra counselling for staff because they're going through a really traumatic time, we're paying for food packages, for well-being packs they can pick up after a shift and take home so they don't have to worry about shopping.

[Lord Jim]

Vera Lynn's stirring rendition of We'll Meet Again to the top spot, which was referenced by the Queen in her message to the nation.

For those who may not be familiar with it, We'll Meet Again became something of a morale boosting anthem for the boys laying it all on the line in the life-or-death fight against the Boche...

[RayThom]

Ray, I removed that image, please don't post other people's personal images without their permission.

It is on the Cafe Darte website that was posted earlier.

I thought it was sweet, and loving, and a nice look back to when times were more innocent and fun.

My apologies to you and Hen for the intrusion.

[BoSoxGal]

Yeah head’s up Gob, it’s on the Internet for all to see forever - unless you can contact Gar to remove that old CSB page.

[Econoline]

I thought it was sweet, and loving, and a nice look back to when times were more innocent and fun.

That's the way I saw it.

[Gob]

It is on the Cafe Darte website that was posted earlier.

I thought it was sweet, and loving, and a nice look back to when times were more innocent and fun.

My apologies to you and Hen for the intrusion.

I was never a member of Cafe Dartre, so I have no idea what it is doing on there?

Who posted it?

Thanks for the apology, appreciated.


ETA:
Just investigated, it was on the CSB. So I understand now why you thought it was OK.