Captain Tom Moore helped raise £180,000 for local hospitals

Health services in Herefordshire have received around £180,000 in donations thanks to the efforts of fundraisers such as the late Captain Sir Tom Moore.

Captain Sir Tom Moore died at the age of 100 after testing positive for Covid-19, his daughters said in a statement earlier this week.

The 100-year-old charity fundraiser was taken to hospital on Sunday, after being treated for pneumonia for some time and testing positive for coronavirus the week before last.

Sir Tom helped raise more than £32 million for the NHS, walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday during the first national lockdown in April.

And was knighted by the Queen last summer in recognition for his efforts.

Wye Valley NHS Trust, which runs Hereford County Hospital, says it will use the funds to improve facilities for its hard-working staff.

“Our thoughts are with Sir Captain Tom Moore’s family at this very sad time,” a trust spokesperson said.

“He is a real hero who gave the nation hope and inspiration.

“We are extremely grateful for his fundraising efforts and kind donation to the NHS including Wye Valley NHS Trust.

“Through the NHS Charities Together (which included the Captain Tom Moore fund) and local contributions, the Trust received around £180,000.

“We are extremely grateful to everyone who contributed these funds – it means a huge amount to our staff.

“The money is being spent to improve the health and wellbeing of staff and patients and we asked colleagues at the Trust how best this can be achieved.

“Based on staff feedback, we are using the funds to improve the facilities for our hard-working staff, create wellbeing hubs and a rest area, along with the creation of green areas where staff can take breaks and to improve education facilities for staff at the Trust.

“This is happening at all the hospitals WVT runs.

“Work continues as we seek to ensure the funds are used to create sustainable benefits to our staff that will continue to benefit them in years to come.”