A Tribute to Capt. Sir Tom Moore
One of the ways Covid gets at us is by making us feel helpless. This is a disease that’s spreading worldwide and it sometimes seems as if nothing on earth can stop it, so it’s not surprising that we sometimes feel helpless in its path. Even so, and while we’re still in the midst of this terrible pandemic, each and every one of us can take a moment to think if there might be a way we can help the authorities to deal with it. And the authorities are very thankful for that, because without the help of individuals it would be almost impossible to slow down or halt the spread of Covid 19.
For some, the answer is to volunteer. Many people have medical training and are now retired, so it’s a great opportunity for them to volunteer their services. And it doesn’t matter in what capacity. I’m sure there are many highly skilled ex-surgeons, GPs and consultants in various specialisms who are now wheeling trolleys around hospital corridors, or helping with the very thorough cleaning that’s constantly needed to halt the spread of the infection. And every one of them is playing an important part in the fight.
Volunteering always helps
Others don’t have that medical background, but their volunteering is just as welcome, and just as vital. And we can all take a look closer to home; there might be a neighbour who is isolated and in need of daily essentials, not to mention human contact. So there’s probably something each of us can do to help.
And that’s exactly what an ex-soldier thought, so he decided to get up and do something and hopefully get some sponsorship to raise funds for charity. He aimed to help “NHS Charities Together”, a federation of over 250 charities that support the National Health Service, its staff, its volunteers and, of course, its patients. And he aimed to do it by walking up and down his garden, ten times a day, with the help of his walking frame.
Capt. Tom decides to do his bit
Not very ambitious, you might think, but bear in mind that Tom Moore was 99 years old at the time, and still recovering from injuries he’d received in a fall. These included a broken hip, broken rib and a punctured lung, but he was, as always, determined to do what he could to help. He’d also recently been treated for skin cancer and had a hip replacement and two knee replacements, but he wasn’t going to let little things like that stop him! Within a short time he’d reached his £1,000 target, but he carried on regardless.
Local radio heard about it, and then it went national. Soon everybody was behind his efforts, and the contributions kept rolling in. They had to raise their target amount to £5,000, and then, in almost no time, to £500,000. Capt. Tom Moore’s efforts were now getting worldwide attention and had become a focus for people everywhere to help out. His efforts also inspired many others to walk, and run, and do whatever they could, and in so doing, to attract attention, and yes, sponsorship. Once the media latched onto the story, contributions rose dramatically, and Capt. Tom and his efforts became an almost overnight phenomenon.
His fund-raising becomes a phenomenon
By the time his 100th birthday arrived, his fund-raising had reached an astonishing thirty million pounds! And it was still pouring in! By the end of the day, when the campaign was brought to a close, that amount had risen to over £32 million.
Capt. Tom’s determination and his upbeat attitude raised the spirits of the nation, and he was feted in all kinds of ways. He joined Michael Ball, singing You’ll Never Walk Alone, and the proceeds from the single went to the same fund, the NHS Charities Together, and the single went straight in at number 1, making him the oldest person ever to top the charts.
Not only that, he was given a Pride of Britain award after thousands of nominations flooded in for him. And he was made an Honorary Colonel of the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, Yorkshire, where he grew up. Brigadier Andrew Jackson, Colonel of the Yorkshire Regiment, described Moore as “an absolute legend from an exceptional generation that are still an inspiration for our Yorkshire soldiers today.”
He becomes Capt. Sir Tom!
After 800,00 people signed a petition to have him knighted, the Queen agreed and recognised his efforts with a knighthood. Universities scrambled to offer him honorary doctorates and TV stations almost literally queued up to interview him. In fact, even though he was now 100 years old, he gave over 150 media interviews, and TV channels even showed programmes celebrating his efforts and his military service.
He received over 150,000 100th birthday cards, and the Royal Mail announced that from 26 April to 1 May all mail would be postmarked “Happy 100th Birthday Captain Thomas Moore NHS fundraising hero 30th April 2020”.
It’s astonishing to think that one old man walking up and down his garden could make such a difference. But that’s what happened. One man decided to do what he could to raise some desperately needed funds and it somehow took off and grew beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. It not only raised a tremendous amount of money for the NHS, it helped raise the spirit of the entire nation at a time when it was sorely depleted.
One man can make a difference
Apparently they’re now working on a film of his life story, and when he heard about it, Tom commented “I don’t know of any 100-year-old actors, but I’m sure Michael Caine or Anthony Hopkins could do a wonderful job if they were prepared to age up!”
Capt. Sir Tom Moore contracted Covid 19 and died on 2 February 2021 after being admitted to hospital a couple of days earlier to be treated for pneumonia. His family were able to spend his last hours with him, and he was in good spirits. He will be remembered for his indomitable attitude and his optimism. As he often said, “Tomorrow will be a good day!”