A tribute to Captain Tom 

We would like to pay special tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore and the way in which he has inspired our nation and helped so many local NHS charities like ours across the UK.

Captain Tom originally planned to raise £1,000 – a great sum in anyone’s eyes.

Like others, he was moved by the work of NHS teams and wanted to support staff working in these unchartered waters. 

His fundraising was for NHS Charities Together - which works to support charities like Oxford Hospitals Charity across the country. 

No-one, least of all Captain Tom, could have foreseen what a beacon of hope he would become. 

He raised close to £33 million and inspired thousands of others to support the national appeal as well as their local NHS charities.

The funds he and others raised have made such a difference to so many hospitals during this pandemic - including all of those within Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

In our hospitals we have been able to fund emergency respite rooms - to give staff space away from the clinical environment, to breathe more deeply, close their eyes for a moment and find a little calm in the storm.

Thanks to Captain Tom, and others like him, we have funded lung function monitors for every Oxfordshire child with Cystic Fibrosis so that this complex condition can be cared for with fewer visits to hospital, and iPads for older patients to watch our virtual music concerts, so they feel less isolated while in hospital. 

The support helped us to provide meals for staff who spent much of 2020 staying in lodgings, away from their family homes, so they could be closer to the hospitals and protect their loved ones.

It has also funded a rest pod, for the Emergency Department who work so hard 24 /7 and extra support for black and minority ethnic staff who have been so affected by covid.

These are just a few of the things that Captain Tom and so many others have helped to make happen.

We are so grateful for the gifts that he shared with us all and grateful to all our Oxford Hospitals Charity supporters whose generosity helps to continue his legacy of making a difference to the NHS across the whole of the UK.

We are thinking of his family during this time of loss - and indeed all those families right now who have hearts that need healing.

The Oxford Hospitals Charity Team

To find out more about how Oxford Hospitals Charity makes a difference across the wards and departments of your local hospitals, get in touch with the team via the methods below.  Tel: 01865 743 444 Email: [email protected]  MAKE A DONATION NOW     OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT Do remember to tick the Gift Aid box if you are a UK taxpayer, as that will increase your donation by 25 percent.