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National sensation Sir Captain Tom Moore provided a message of hope among the chaos at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when he vowed to walk 100 lengths of his garden to raise money for the NHS. Following his death earlier this year, the Captain Tom 100 campaign was launched. Here Harry Watkins, co-founder of the Charlie Watkins Foundation, discusses why we are taking part and how your donations help fund our vital work.
The devastating news of Sir Captain Tom Moore’s death in February shocked the nation.
The 100-year-old had been a beacon of hope for many during the coronavirus pandemic. His astonishing challenge to raise £1,000 for the NHS in 2020 ended up yielding more than £30 million.
Although Sir Captain Tom Moore passed away before he could reach his 101st birthday, his legacy lives on and people from all around the world have been participating in the Captain Tom 100 challenge, with the aim of encouraging people to raise money for a charity of their choice.
“Tomorrow will be a good day” – Sir Captain Tom Moore
Sir Captain Tom Moore’s simple message of hope “tomorrow will be a good day” rings poignantly true for us here at the Charlie Watkins Foundation.
Our project work has seen us witness the devastating impact the pandemic is having on young people who have faced isolation and uncertainty following the closure of schools and universities. In fact, more than two thirds of young people have said their mental health got worse during lockdown.
Plus, many without previous experience of mental health challenges have experienced poor mental health during lockdown and have seen their mental health and wellbeing decline.
This is why we are urging our incredible community at the Charlie Watkins Foundation to take part in Sir Captain Tom’s 100 legacy to help us raise £10,000 to continue our vital work with young people struggling with mental health challenges.
100 heroes, £10,000
We are asking 100 heroes to come forward and raise £100 for us.
This could be walking 100 laps of your garden just like Sir Captain Tom and asking friends and family to sponsor you; or you could bake 100 cupcakes to sell at £1 each!
Perhaps you don’t have time to host a fundraiser and would prefer to donate £100. Anything to help us reach our goal would be so appreciated.
Ten thousand pounds will make a huge difference to our partnering charities and it will mean that we can continue our remarkable work of supporting young people’s mental health.
We are already working with Student Minds, the student’s mental health charity and the Youth Enquiry Service (YES) in Essex; both of whom are working tirelessly on our special projects.
Student Minds’ University Mental Health Charter’s student panel has been working on a brief to create the assessment tool to recognise and reward universities that promote good mental health and wellbeing. Plus, YES has been actively working with many school students through the school navigator role.
Our 100 heroes will have pride of place on our Charlie’s Champions page; recognising their phenomenal efforts to help us create change and continue our work.
Get involved!
With depression rates double what they were since the pandemic began, now is the time to act.
No matter how you raise your £100, you have our support and guidance. Feel free to get in touch with us if you are stuck for ideas or you need some advice.
Visit our Captain Tom 100 campaign page to donate your fundraised £100 and earn a spot on our Charlie’s Champions page.
As always, we thank you for your continued support and let us hope that “tomorrow will be a good day”.
