We salute Captain Tom Moore, 99, and £8m tribute to NHS: The Yorkshire Post says

CAPTAIN Tom Moore believed he was simply doing his duty when he chose to mark his centenary year by walking 10 circuits of his garden to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together.
Read More
'Yorkshire veteran, 99, should be formally recognised after raising £5m for NHS'

He’s not only done that. This proud soldier has left the whole country both inspired – and humbled – by his humility and fortitude after his story led to pledges of support in excess of £8m and counting.

The equivalent of every person living in Yorkshire donating more than a pound, ‘Captain Tom’, as he is affectionately known, is no ordinary nonagenerian – the 99-year-old has been treated for a broken hip and cancer in recent times.

Captain Tom Moore, with his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore, afterr his NHS charity walk inspired donations in excess of £5m. Photo: BBC News.Captain Tom Moore, with his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore, afterr his NHS charity walk inspired donations in excess of £5m. Photo: BBC News.
Captain Tom Moore, with his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore, afterr his NHS charity walk inspired donations in excess of £5m. Photo: BBC News.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But his determination – his family liken him to “a stoic Yorkshireman” – has given Britain an incredible lift as families across the land prepare for the latest celebration of carers and key workers on the doorsteps.

“When you think of who it is all for – all those brave and super doctors and nurses we have got – I think they deserve every penny, and I hope we get some more for them too,” says this modest hero.

Too right. Words that will resonate with all NHS staff, and all carers, they’re even more profound coming from such a grateful veteran – resplendent in a navy blazer with his war medals proudly on show – who has to use a walking frame to complete every step of his personal marathon.

And while a knighthood would be fitting recognition for this former civil engineer who grew up in Keighley before enlisting in the Army during the Second World War, serving with distinction in India and Burma, The Yorkshire Post, for one, hopes that ‘Captain Tom’ is willing and able to lead the annual parade of veterans past the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.

One of the latest tributes to the NHS - this time in Manchester.One of the latest tributes to the NHS - this time in Manchester.
One of the latest tributes to the NHS - this time in Manchester.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It would be the ultimate tribute to this solder-in-a-million, his comrades lost in battle on foreign fields and the NHS during a traumatic year in which the world has had to confront an invisible enemy like no other.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.