99-year-old army veteran raises more than £1m for NHS with ‘100th birthday walk’

‘Thanks to everyone — we stand united even during the most testing of times,’ Captain Tom Moore writes on Twitter

Captain Tom Moore (YouTube/Maytrix Group Ltd)

A 99-year-old army veteran has raised more than £1m for the NHS by taking part in a walking initiative in the lead-up to his 100th birthday.

Captain Tom Moore, from Keighley, Yorkshire, recently announced that he had taken on the commitment of walking 100 lengths of his back garden before he turns 100 at the end of the month.

The captain’s aim was to inspire people to donate money towards the NHS as he carries out his fundraising campaign while healthcare workers continue to work hard throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Captain Moore’s initial target was to raise £1,000, a goal that was realised within 24 hours on Friday 10 April.

The target was subsequently increased to £100,000, steadily rising to £500,000 as more people got involved.

As of Tuesday 14 April, Captain Moore’s JustGiving page has raised more than £1.3m for NHS Charities Together.

The army veteran expressed his joy on Twitter over accumulating such a staggering amount of money for the NHS.

“WOW 1 million pounds for our beloved NHS!” he tweeted.

“I may be walking in my garden to raise money, but this is the British public’s contribution. You are all wonderful — and make Great Britain — GREAT.

“Thanks to everyone – we stand united even during the most testing of times. WOW!”

NHS Charities Together, it explains on Captain Moore’s fundraising site, “is a collective experiencing representing, supporting and championing the work of the NHS’ official charities”.

Captain Moore is currently doing 10 laps of his back garden a day in order to achieve his aim of doing 100 in total.

The 99-year-old has received plenty of support online, including words of encouragement from some familiar faces.

Television presenter Dan Walker thanked Captain Moore for his fundraising efforts, describing the campaign as “amazing”.

Actor Sarah Douglas tweeted that the Second World War veteran is “an inspiration to us all”.