Why everyone’s talking about Tom Moore
The 99-year-old Second World War veteran who has raised over £5m for NHS workers with sponsored walk
A 99-year-old World War Two veteran has raised more than £5m to help the NHS in the fight against coronavirus by doing a sponsored walk in his back garden.
Tom Moore, originally from Keighley in North Yorkshire, aimed to complete 100 laps of his 25-metre Bedfordshire garden by his 100th birthday, the BBC reports, with the initial goal of raising £1,000 for the NHS.
The nonagenarian, who uses a walking frame, said he began raising funds to thank the “magnificent” NHS staff who treated him for cancer and a broken hip.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
However, after launching his campaign on 8 April and raising £70,000 in just 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.
As of Wednesday, Moore has passed the £5.5m mark – more than 1,100% of his original goal – with donations flooding in from all over the world.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
He told The Guardian this week: “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. It’s almost unbelievable, isn’t it?”
He later added on Twitter: “When I started this journey last Monday, my target was £1,000 for our incredible NHS. No words left... just thank you.
“Thanks each and every one of you – we are in awe of you, but especially our frontline staff who need this now more than ever.”
As his fundraising campaign has been so successful, Moore has said he will not stop and hopes to do another 100 laps of his garden.
NHS Charities Together, which will benefit from the funds, told the BBC it was “truly inspired and humbled” by Moore’s efforts and the donations. The organisation’s chief Ellie Orton said: “I think I absolutely join the rest of the country in being truly inspired and profoundly humbled by Captain Tom and what he has achieved.”
Moore trained as a civil engineer before enlisting in the army for the Second World War, rising to captain and serving in India and Burma, Sky News says.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Making a police state out of the liberal university'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
8 looming climate tipping points that imperil our planet
The Explainer New reports detail the thresholds we may be close to crossing
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Try 6 free issues of The Week Junior
Spark your child's curiosity with The Week Junior - the award-winning current affairs magazine for 8-14s.
By The Week Published
-
Immunotherapy and hay fever
The Explainer Research shows that the treatment could provide significant relief from symptoms for many hay fever sufferers
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Pros and cons of universal health care
Pros and Cons A medical system that serves everyone comes with its own costs, and they're not only financial
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
Covid four years on: have we got over the pandemic?
Today's Big Question Brits suffering from both lockdown nostalgia and collective trauma that refuses to go away
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The hollow classroom
Opinion Remote school let kids down. It will take much more than extra tutoring for kids to recover.
By Mark Gimein Published
-
Martha's Rule: patients given right to urgent second opinion
The Explainer Hospitals in England will launch new scheme that will allow access to a rapid treatment review
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The contaminated blood scandal
The Explainer Widely regarded as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, the public inquiry is due to publish its report in May
By The Week UK Published
-
Can Britain's dental crisis be fixed?
The Explainer New proposals include more money for dentists working in under-served areas
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Excess screen time is making children only see what is in front of them
Under the radar The future is looking blurry. And very nearsighted.
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published