Blog
THE family of Captain Sir Tom Moore are encouraging fundraisers to take on their own ‘100’ challenge to mark what would have been his 101st birthday on 30 April.
Sir Tom captivated the imaginations of people across the world last year when he walked 100 laps of his garden to raise £38.9 million for NHS Charities Together. Sadly, the World War Two veteran passed away on 2 February this year after battling COVID-19, but his legacy will live on thanks to the new Captain Tom 100 challenge.
The Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity are encouraging people of all ages to participate in the challenge to honour Sir Tom and to support their local hospital charity by fundraising. Fundraisers can do any activity they like – from walking 100 miles to baking 100 cakes or writing 100 letters.
Suzanne Rutter, Charity Engagement and Development Manager, said:
“Sir Tom’s simple message of hope – ‘tomorrow will be a good day’ – inspired so many NHS colleagues and brought comfort and joy to millions of people during the pandemic. Now it’s our turn to build on his legacy by taking part in Captain Tom 100.
“Thanks to Sir Tom’s incredible fundraising, the charity received £166,500 from the NHS Charities Together COVID-19 emergency appeal. We have invested the funds in a host of wellbeing initiatives for our NHS heroes in Rotherham, which we ordinarily would not be able to fund.
“We hope our colleagues, local schools, businesses and community groups will continue to showcase the amazing love and appreciation they have for the NHS by taking part in the challenge. Whether you’re painting 100 rainbows or telling 100 jokes, we want to hear about it. Have fun!”
How it works
All participants need to do is dream up a Captain Tom 100 challenge based around the number 100 and set up a fundraising page linked to the Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity via Virgin Money Giving.
Challenges can be completed anytime and anywhere during Captain Tom’s birthday weekend – starting on Friday 30 April through to Bank Holiday Monday, 3 May.
Participants are encouraged to share their 100 on social media by using #CaptainTom100.
Captain Tom’s daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, added:
“We are so grateful for the incredible support we have received since my father started his record-breaking fundraising walk. We know he would love the idea of inviting everyone to get involved and share their Captain Tom 100 so that together we can ensure ‘tomorrow will be a good day’. We look forward to celebrating with you on what would have been his 101st birthday weekend.”
For more information about the Captain Tom 100 challenge, email the charity via
charitytoday.co.uk | 23 April 2021
CHILDREN’S Heart Unit Fund (CHUF) is appealing to families and businesses in the region to help it raise £5,000 in April to continue bringing smiles to poorly children at Newcastle’s Freeman by spreading the message ‘Silliness Matters’.
The #SillinessMatters appeal to raise £5,000 is so the charity can continue funding its partnership with the Clown Doctors Programme, a team of play specialists who bring smiles and entertainment to Heart Heroes undergoing treatment at Children’s Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital.
CHUF are encouraging everyone to take a moment and do something silly, whether that pulls a funny face, create a silly dance or tell a joke, share on social media with the #SillinessMatters and donate via the charity’s Facebook page or website: https://www.chuf.org.uk/donate/.
The charity’s director of fundraising and operations, Charlotte Campbell, said:
“CHUF has funded the Clown Doctors programme for 15 years, and in that time, they have become a vital part of the ward team at The Freeman Hospital.
“The Clown Doctors have touched the lives of many children throughout their treatment by bringing laughter, playfulness and joy to the ward, which really improves the mental and physical wellbeing of Heart Heroes and their families.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on us as a charity, and we would really appreciate any donation, however big or small, to help us raise £5,000 to continue funding the Clown Doctors Programme throughout 2021.”
CHUF exists to support pioneering services that will positively impact heart families, inspire hope and enable Heart Heroes to reach their full potential.
For more information about CHUF, including how to donate, please visit https://www.chuf.org.uk/.
charitytoday.co.uk | 21 April 2021
At 31, a doting father, much-loved fiancée and son, Ross McCarthy should have the world at his feet. Instead, due to lockdown measures and its subsequent pressures imposed upon this young family man, his loved-ones are left grieving his loss.
Unfortunately, this last year, Charity Today has reported on a lot of very saddening suicides, many of which attributed to the impact of lockdown.
Charity Today’s straight-talking Executive Editor, Lee B. Rayment, himself a prolific Mental Health ambassador, said:
“I’ll be honest with you, I’ve become sick and tired of the complete disregard and ignorance for people’s mental health, and with things like cancer diagnosis sidelined. I’ve known of eight suicides personally during the lockdown, and ourselves at Charity Today continue to report daily on many others.”
He added, “I feel our nation’s mental health services were shocking and inept before the pandemic, and now we feel a zoom call is the best we can do. It’s ridiculous.
“This country, our health services and mental health charities need to take a long hard look at themselves because it is not anywhere near good enough. It isn’t. We throw millions of pounds at both charities and mental health services and think that is justifiable. What people need is physical support, and to feel there is a way real way out of the position they find themselves in.”
Ross's father, Mr Mike McCarthy, agrees that the foundations are not in place to support people adequately, he said:
“For all the openness, the awareness, the talking, if the foundation isn’t there for people, then that’s simply not good enough.
“There’s lots of help out there for people when they make that first desperate call, but Ross felt in the weeks and months and years that help faded away.”
The Department of Health and Social Care, which offered its condolences to Ross McCarthy’s family, said:
“We are committed to supporting mental wellbeing, and mental health services have remained open throughout the pandemic.
“We’ve provided the largest funding in NHS history with an additional £2.3bn a year by 2023/24 to transform mental health services for all.”
Responding to The Department of Health and Social Care’s comment’s Rayment added: “The official response is always, we’ve thrown X amount of money at the problem and services remained open, but given services over the last twelve months are non-existent unless one Zoom qualifies as support, what real, quantifiable results does any amount of money given? We need better, and people deserve better than this!”
Mr Rayment’s and Mr McCarthy’s comments come in the week that an inquest into the death of a Basingstoke-based charity fundraiser found the impact of lockdown played a significant part in the suicide of Brook Edmunds, 43.
You can call Samaritans free on 116 123, email them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
charitytoday.co.uk | 26 March 2021