New campaign asks us to share moments of kindness from the year
During the first COVID-19 lockdowns in England, the late Captain Sir Thomas Moore (popularly known as Captain Tom), inspired the nation when he decided to raise money for NHS Charities Together by walking 100 laps of his 25-metre garden, with the goal of raising £1,000 by his 100th birthday.
After making international headlines, more than 1.5 million individuals donated, having been touched by his act of determination and selflessness. He far surpassed his fundraising goal, ultimately raising over £38.9 million for the National Health Service, and earning him a well-deserved knighthood.
Sadly, Captain Tom passed away in 2021, however, his legacy lives on. To honour his memory, his family have launched a new campaign, called 'A Gift of Kindness'.
The campaign invites people to share stories of individual moments of kindness they’ve received throughout their life. The family hopes “to celebrate the everyday acts of kindness that so often cost nothing to the giver, but mean so much to the receiver.”
On the homepage of their website, those wishing to share their story of kindness or good deeds can add to the board, which visitors to the site can then read and enjoy.
“My late father Captain Sir Tom, lived a long and fulfilled life that was brimming with joy, deep sorrow, love, loss, hope, positivity and kindness,” said Sir Tom’s daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore.
“He truly believed in the fundamental goodness of humanity. With that in mind, 'A Gift of Kindness' is a place to relate your kindness stories, to share joy and hope with others by recalling any small gift of kindness towards you or someone you know, and how that felt.”
It's hard for us to pick our favourite stories from the site, but we've chosen a few we think you'll find just as touching as we did:
"After a traumatic two years selling our house, we finally moved, and half an hour after we got to our new home, my amazing new neighbours came to greet us with cards with phone numbers and house numbers.
"They have been such a comfort through lockdown and also through both my son and husband having life-threatening accidents since we moved. Oh and on that moving day, they also brought us a bottle of fizz to christen our new home. Such kindness." - Anne, Warminster, UK
"I went to pick up my son's birthday cake from the bakery and was greeted with a wonderful surprise. An anonymous woman had come in earlier to pay for all the birthday cakes for those that shared her son's birthday as a heartfelt way of honouring his memory.
"I was so touched, grateful and humbled. For someone to think about helping others, even as they are grieving, is truly amazing." - Rebecca, Arizona, USA
"I was dealing with a lot one year, in the run-up to Christmas. A girl, who I was friends with at the time, decided to make me some flapjacks as a gift. She made them from scratch.
"Just a small thing, but it was a kind gesture that I'll always remember." - Jack, Bradford, UK
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