16 April 2020

He's done it! WW2 veteran Captain Tom Moore completes 100-lap challenge and raises more than £12 million for the NHS

When Captain Tom Moore walked the first lap of his garden just over a week ago, the thought of raising £1,000 for the NHS was a dream.

This morning, as he walked his 100th, he had raised over £12 million for the health service's NHS Charities Together.

His daughter Hannah has described the amount as something beyond their 'wildest expectations' but the total is still  rising.

Cpt Moore, who served in India and Burma in the Second World War, was shown completing his last laps on BBC Breakfast this morning and was seen home by a guard of honour from members of the Yorkshire Regiment.

He said: "I'm surrouded by the right kind of people so I feel fine. I hope you're feeling fine too."

He added later: "To all those people who are finding things difficult at the moment, the sun will shine again and the clouds will go away. We are a united country and that's how it will be continue to be."

Breakfast also interviewed the two nurses at Cpt Moore's local surgery who inspired his walk and they said they both 'miss him dearly'. 

It was also announced that JustGiving will be waving admin fees on the donations which means an extra £100,000 will go to the NHS.

Interviewed on Good Morning Britain, he said: "To all of you in the NHS. All you nurses, doctors, back-up staff, you are all answering to something where you are putting yourselves in danger and you are doing that for the good of all the people here.

"You are doing a marvellous, marvellous job."

And following thousands of calls on social media for him to be knighted, the modest captain said he'd 'be amazed'.

On Tuesday morning the fund stood at £800,000. A further £11.2 million-plus has been added to the pot in the last 48 hours.

Cpt Moore wanted to walk 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden before his 100th birthday on April 30 to thank NHS staff for their care after treatment for cancer and a broken hip.

He is now a national fundraiser with his money heading straight to the frontline of workers fighting coronavirus..

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