West Lothian Crematorium’s fundraising tribute to Captain Tom
When it came to thinking about how to raise money in honour of pandemic hero Captain Sir Tom Moore, staff at West Lothian Crematorium had all the answers.
They took part in a quiz to support the Captain Tom Foundations ‘100 Challenge’, which invited people and organisations to raise funds around the time of what would have been Captain Tom’s 101st birthday.
West Lothian Crematorium is part of Westerleigh Group, the UK’s largest independent owner of crematoria, with 35 sites in England, Scotland, and Wales.
The Captain Tom Foundation supports many organisations which help people with life-limiting illnesses or who are facing or coping with bereavement.
This resonated with the senior leadership team at Westerleigh Group, which then threw down the gauntlet to its sites to come up with their own ideas for raising money for the foundation.
West Lothian Crematorium site manager Carole Rae said: “As a team, we browsed online and looked at different options for raising money.
“Over the last year, virtual quizzes have been the new ‘going out' for many people, so it felt right that we could incorporate this idea into our event.
“We wanted to be different, but also wanted to do something we would all enjoy and be able to take part in.”
The team faced ten questions in ten different categories, inviting donations from local Funeral Directors, clergy, friends and family.
Carole added: “We felt it was important to pay tribute to Captain Tom, who was such a unique individual who inspired so many others during these difficult times.”
Teams at many other Westerleigh crematoria around the country walked or ran 100 laps around their sites to raise money, while others organised bake sales and other activities, all of which helped Westerleigh Group raise more than £3,000 for the Captain Tom Foundation.
Captain Sir Tom Moore captured the hearts of the nation during the Coronavirus pandemic when he raised an amazing £38.9m for NHS Charities Together by walking 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden before his 100th birthday.
On 17 July 2020, he was knighted by the Queen at Windsor Castle. He died on 2 February 2021 at Bedford Hospital after being treated for pneumonia and then testing positive for Covid-19.
The Captain Tom Foundation was launched in May 2020 to ensure his inspiring message of hope, and that “tomorrow will be a good day”, becomes a lasting legacy.
Carole added: “Unfortunately, lockdown restrictions mean we are still not able to invite people to our crematorium to take part in any fundraising activities directly.
“But anyone in the community who has used our crematorium can still be part of our fundraising effort, and pay their own tribute to Captain Tom, by making a donation to our Just Giving page: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/westerleigh-group
