Today’s #FourForApril displays such togetherness and love that it made me very happy reading these stories when I found them. From the army veteran who has helped to raise over £1.7 million for the NHS, to the couple who got married over Zoom and the anonymous Massachusetts resident who bought $5,000 in groceries for the elderly, they all epitomise a lovely story.
I think the loveliest part is seeing care workers in Scotland get more recognition for what they are doing by getting a pay rise, hopefully the rest of the UK and the world will follow suit 💚
Army veteran raises over £1.7 million for NHS
A 99-year-old army veteran has more than smashed his original fundraising target for the NHS over one thousand seven hundred times.
Tom Moore aims to complete 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden by Thursday, walking with the aid of a frame.
Mr Moore has so far completed 70 laps of the 25-metre (82ft) loop in his garden, and is taking them on in 10-lap chunks.
Tom originally hoped to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together, to thank staff after recent treatment for a broken hip and cancer.
After that target was smashed, he then upped it to £500,000 and remarkably, that target has been smashed more than three times over and currently stands at over £1.7 million!
More than 78,000 people have contributed funds; he has appeared on TV; and celebrities from all over have been spurring him on.
Tom, who was born in Keighley, West Yorkshire, trained as a civil engineer before enlisting in the army for World War Two, rising to captain and serving in India and Burma.
Tom is hoping that by Thursday he will be able to complete the 2.5km (1.6 miles) challenge, instead of on his initial target day of his 100th birthday on 30 April.
The money raised for the charity is being spent on well-being packs for NHS staff, recuperation rooms, devices to enable hospital patients to keep in contact with loved ones, and he is also working with community groups to support patients once they are discharged from hospitals.
You can read more of Tom’s remarkable and warming story here. If you’d like to support his incredible cause you can visit his JustGiving page.
Grandparents got married over Zoom after coronavirus cancelled their wedding plans
The coronavirus pandemic has led to the cancellation of many events, not least weddings.
One couple from Ohio, would not let lockdown stop their plans.
After coronavirus ruined their plans to get married in spring, Alvin Lee, 90, and Dorothy Driskell, 85, decided to get creative and hold their wedding via Zoom.
Alvin lost his wife, Rachel, 11 years ago, and Dorothy lost her husband two years ago.
But last year, the pair met and found love again.
Lee proposed to Dorothy at the Cincinnati Symphony in January, and they had planned to hold their ceremony this spring.
Since social-distancing is preventing such matters, Alvin’s family got creative for his 90th birthday party and threw him a surprise party on Zoom, the video conferencing app that has gained popularity amid the pandemic.
From this idea, they then proceeded to hold their wedding from home with twenty family members and friends joining on the Zoom call.
A first for the pastor, Alvin promised to share his life with Dorothy “through joy and sorrow”.
You can read more and watch some of the couple’s lovely ceremony here.
Anonymous Massachusetts resident purchased $5,000 in groceries for elderly
There have been so many acts of kindness during this pandemic and an anonymous Massachusetts resident is another who has warmed the hearts of many.
The samaritan from Provincetown bought $5,000 worth of gift cards in order to pay for customers groceries between 6-7:30 a.m.
The donor would have known that during that time period the store is allocated to elderly people and those with weakened immune systems.
The store’s general manager, told Boston 25 News she has since received an outpouring of appreciation.
According to a spokesperson for the shop, the mystery donor expressed interest in donating to customers last Thursday, then on the Friday purchased the large sum of gift cards.
You can read more about the anonymous donor’s incredible act here.
Pay rise for social care workers in Scotland
Social care staff in Scotland are to receive an immediate 3.3% pay increase backdated from 1 April.
The move was agreed between the Scottish Government and COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) and is part of a package of measures to support social care workers in recognition of the vital role they are playing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Social care support workers providing direct adult support will have their pay increased to at least the Real Living Wage rate of £9.30 an hour for all hours worked, including sleep-overs and hours worked by personal assistants.
The Scottish Government has said it will also provide funding to third sector and independent providers specifically to ensure staff receive sick pay if they are off work ill or because they are self-isolating.
In addition, the agreed funding increase to these providers will give them the financial flexibility to increase wages across their organisations, and not just to frontline staff.
In a press statement, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Scotland’s dedicated social care workers are on the frontline of our national pandemic response. Their work is always hugely valued, and never more so than now.
“As well as providing an uplift in pay for all social care workers, this package ensures social care providers have both flexibility to increase wages across their organisations and the necessary funding for sick pay if their employees are off ill or are self-isolating.”
Bonus positive
More police officers joining together to wish children in isolation a Happy Birthday 🙂
Every day in April, we will be sharing four positive news stories in one post under the hashtag #FourForApril. Got any kindness stories? Send them in! We’d love the world to hear about these good deeds by good people 🙂
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