Bedford School is helping to build on its partnership with Captain Sir Tom Moore by making his foundation one of its charities of the year.
The leading independent school, which is attended by Captain Sir Tom’s grandson Benjie Ingram-Moore, will back the Captain Tom Foundation which was set up following the phenomenal success of the 100-year-old’s lockdown fundraiser.
The pensioner captured the hearts of the nation after he pledged to walk 100 lengths of his garden – a quest which saw him raise nearly £39million for the NHS throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Susie Spyropoulos, Head of Charities at Bedford School, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be supporting the Captain Tom Foundation throughout the current academic year.
“It was the natural step for us to take to continue the inspirational work that Captain Sir Tom and his family have undertaken in such a short space of time and inspire hope when it was needed the most.
“We are keen to work with the Ingram-Moore family and the Foundation to raise as much money as we can for their charity partners; The Royal British Legion, Mind, Helen & Douglas House and Willen Hospice.”
She added: “Our pupils have a long and proud tradition of working hard and undertaking various activities for charity.
“We recently held a Mufti Day in school, raising £537 for the Captain Tom Foundation and £1,612 in total. The school as a whole usually raises somewhere in the region of £30,000 over the course of the school year, and although we are faced with COVID related challenges, the boys are getting creative and coming up with new ways of raising money.”
In addition to supporting the Captain Tom Foundation, Bedford School will also support St John’s Hospice, the Red Cross, Bedford Foodbank and Movember this term.
In April, Bedford School hosted a display of thousands of Captain Sir Tom’s 100th birthday cards. The school’s Great Hall was transformed into a sorting office, with more than 100 pupils, parents, staff and Old Bedfordians volunteering to set aside envelopes and separate gifts, cheques and donations. They then created a spectacular sea of cards which led to visits from press from around the world.
Hannah Ingram-Moore of the Captain Tom Foundation, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be one of the chosen charities for Bedford School’s fundraising.
“We are passionate and committed to continuing the legacy of my father.
“The mission of the foundation is for a more hopeful world and we will be supporting causes that are close to our hearts.
“We thank Bedford School for choosing to support us on this mission.”
The newly formed Captain Tom Foundation has four pillars: to combat loneliness, support those facing bereavement, champion education and equality and support friends overseas.
For more information, visit www.captaintom.org
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