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WWhen Captain Tom Moore started walking in early April, he had a modest goal: to raise £ 1,000 for the NHS by walking his garden 100 times before his 100th birthday. One of her daughters, Hannah Ingram-Moore, thought it might be a little story for the local media, so on April 7 her consulting firm, Maytrix, released a press release announcing her mission.
The release featured a photograph of the then 99-year-old dressed in a navy blue fleece, pushing a walker swinging a Panama hat and cane. “We are all advised to stay home, stay safe, and protect our NHS, and that’s exactly what 99-year-old Tom Moore is doing,” the copy began, and with it, one of the successes. most surprising. fundraising stories of our time.
How exactly a centennial managed to capture the heart of a nation, prompting an RAF flyby, an improvement in military rank, and Piers Morgan pledging ten thousand of his own money, not to mention a series of conspiracy theories, is a story. demonstrating both the continued power of the mainstream media and the hunger for joy of the British public during a time of grim national crisis.
The global media attack began in Milton Keynes, where the press release caught the attention of Damien Lucas, news chief for a group of local newspapers. In a few hours, the story was on Bedford Today, with a headline about the ambitions of a “Bedford man” and his challenge for the centennial, inspired by the treatment he received from the NHS after breaking his hip and skin cancer. .
A local ITV report followed and by April 10, Good Friday, Captain Tom was live at the BBC breakfast. “You have lived, and seen some difficult times in this country, can you inspire the people who are watching now, just reassure them, will it be alright?” Naga Munchetty asked. “Remember,” he said, “tomorrow is a good day, perhaps tomorrow you will find that everything will be much better than today.”
A star was born. The BBC Breakfast team watched, staggered, as donations to Captain Tom’s Just Giving page went from £ 1,000 to a million and more. Before long, his rivals at Good Morning Britain had picked up the story, with Piers Morgan pledging £ 10,000 of his own money.
Back in Marston Moretaine, a small town 12 miles from Milton Keynes, journalists and supporters began to gather outside the home that Captain Tom shares with Hannah and her family, hoping to catch a glimpse of their hero circling.
On April 16, Moore completed his live challenge at the BBC Breakfast surrounded by an honor guard from the 1st Yorkshire Regiment Battalion. By April 20, he had raised over £ 20 million and recorded a duet with Michael Ball who was on his way to number one on the charts.
The family began to worry about the crowds outside the home. A neighbor got a number for DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles to see if he could help. Hannah, a huge DIY SOS fan, texted asking if this was For real Nick Knowles suggested a Facetime call to prove his identity and he had soon arranged for a fence to be erected Outside of family garden, according to Megan Carver, Knowles Public Relations.
Carver joined last week to help field consultations for free. One of his first calls was to Schillings, the famous London defamation firm, famous for its high fees and its famous clientele. “It was probably the easiest phone call I’ve ever made,” Carver said. “I explained to him that Captain Tom’s family needed a little help and Schillings said immediately, yes, and of course this will be pro bono.”
Schillings contacted Ipso, the press regulator, to ask journalists to stop “leaning over the fence or placing their long-lens cameras through the hedges to take intrusive photos,” noting that the family had created a Twitter account @captaintommoore containing images that could be used for free.
Then came the violent reaction. The family had to refute claims that they or Maytrix were benefiting from the fundraising. A virulent WhatsApp message was spread, claiming they were lining their pockets and accusing JustGiving, the fundraising platform, of holding up to £ 2 million. Full Fact, the independent fact-checking charity, reported that JustGiving was in fact taking about 1% of the total – about £ 320,000 of the £ 32 million pledged Thursday afternoon to NHS Charities Together.
Back in town, the family could no longer cope with the deluge of letters and gifts from around the world. Bill Chandi, the local postmaster, stepped in to help, offering his post office as his mailing address. “Since then, I have been working 24/7 and it is an honor to do so,” said Chandi.
Bedford School, where Captain Tom’s grandson, Benji, is a student, offered his school room to keep the cards. By Thursday they were already going out to the classrooms too. “He has already received at least 160,000 cards,” said Chandi. “A few people want to make sure they definitely get to the right place to have their registered delivery shipped to them, which means we have to register everyone at the post office; we don’t sign for them due to social distancing.” The local classification office has had to establish a separate “Captain Tom” team with two or three dedicated workers, he added.
On Thursday, Captain Tom became Colonel Tom, promoted to an honorary post by the British Army. Boris Johnson wished him happy birthday, the Queen sent him his usual telegram, and a wartime Spitfire and hurricane flew over Marston Moretaine.
He has been the perfect hero for our time, says BBC Breakfast editor Richard Frediani. “There is nothing egotistical or great about Captain Tom. He is just a wonderful man. You can tell he has affected viewers when they are looking for something to get together. He brings a bit of good news and light on what are very difficult times.” .
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