Here’s what you need to know about NHS Charities Together as Captain Tom raises £12.5m for healthcare workers

As the NHS continues the battle to treat coronavirus patients, thousands of medical staff are putting their lives at risk every day as part of the effort. As well as donating to charity, people across the country have been showing their appreciation and support for the NHS by participating in a weekly national clapping event in their honour. The next ‘Clap for our Carers’ will take place on Thursday (16 Apr) at 8pm, with this week also giving recognition to Captain Tom Moore who raised more than £12 million for the NHS. What do NHS Charities do? There are more than 250 NHS charities across the UK that help to support our country’s hospitals. Collectively, NHS Charities Together donates £1 million every day to the health service and have helped to fund major projects, research, and medical equipment to ensure the patients can access the best possible level of care. A number of NHS charities play a key role in mobilising volunteers to support the health service, participating in activities such as brightening up wards and waiting areas with art to make hospital visits more pleasant, while other charities help to support mental health, community health and ambulance trusts. The funds and services provided by the charities are beyond what the NHS can provide on its own, and help to make a huge difference to patients when they are at their most vulnerable. What charities are involved with NHS Charities Together? NHS Charities Together is the organisation that represents and supports NHS Charities, providing a forum for nationwide fundraising and campaigns. The organisation currently has more than 140 NHS charities and has raised a total of £457 million in the last year, with members including Foundation Trusts, Acute Hospitals, Community and Mental Health Trusts and Ambulance Trusts throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Some of the charities involved include: - Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity - Leeds Cares - Hywel Dda Health Charities - City Hospitals Sunderland Charity - Love Musgrove in Taunton - Somerset, South Warwickshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Charitable Fund Who is Captain Tom Moore? Captain Tom Moore is a 99-year-old war veteran who raised a huge £12.5 million for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden. He hugely surpassed his original target of £1,000 and stated that medical staff “deserve everything we can give them.” Originally from Keighley in West Yorkshire, he trained as a civil engineer before enlisting in the Army for the Second World War, and later rising to captain and serving in India and Burma. He completed the final four 25-metre laps of his garden at his Bedfordshire home on Thursday (16 Apr) morning, with a special guard of honour by the 1st battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. He planned to reach his target before his 100th birthday on 30 April to help those who are on the front line of the coronavirus crisis. While his celebratory birthday plans have been affected by the virus, he said the national outpouring of love and support for him was “a party enough for me”. How can I donate to the NHS? If you wish to donate the NHS, you can do so online by visiting the donation page, where you can choose from pre-selected amounts of £10, £20, £30, £50, or £100, or enter a specific amount yourself. You can also set up a monthly direct debit if you wish to donate regularly. If you wish to donate to Captain Tom Moore’s fundraising effort, you can still do so by visiting the Just Giving page online. #HealthHeroes Show your support for the incredible work being done by those working on the frontline of the coronavirus crisis. Join our Facebook group and follow the dedicated Instagram page to read stories of everyday heroism and share your own messages. A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this website, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper. Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper. Thank you, and stay safe.