“Be like Captain Tom”

A noble man who did a magnificent thing. Let's be honest though. He only raised the amout he did after it was picked up by social media and the sheep followed and donated. If it hadn't been him it would have been someone else thrst into the spotlight.

He handled it with dignity and humility and may he rest in peace.

This now smacks of someone riding the coat-tails. Publicists involved no doubt.

That's pretty offensive to actually everyone who wanted to anyone who support him and indeed support the cause.
It's called being inspired to get off your arse and do something.
 


Absolutely no slight on the man or what he achieved at all. Clearly a top bloke

But what frustrates me is that we shouldn’t need this kind of thing to raise money for the NHS, that’s why we pay tax. It’s just a shame that it’s diverted into Tory donors’ pockets.
This is why a "ring fenced tax rise" for the NHS doesn't make sense.

Sure, that 1% will go to the NHS budget, but then what - no rises in the rest of the budget until that 1% gets reduced to zero by inflation, and we're back to square one, just with 1% higher tax bills for everyone.


Anyway, as for this matter, he's dead now, I don't see why the family feel a need to be in the public spotlight anymore to be honest.
 
This is why a "ring fenced tax rise" for the NHS doesn't make sense.

Sure, that 1% will go to the NHS budget, but then what - no rises in the rest of the budget until that 1% gets reduced to zero by inflation, and we're back to square one, just with 1% higher tax bills for everyone.


Anyway, as for this matter, he's dead now, I don't see why the family feel a need to be in the public spotlight anymore to be honest.

I'm not sure they have much of a choice. I mean they can try but while it's still fresh in mind, he only died in February and his 101st birthday would have been this month.
As we're still (hopefully not for much longer) in lockdown it's a case of reminding people they can still do something positive if they want to.
He, like many people are now almost more owned by the public than the family. They don't need the money so the insinuation they're doing it for personal gain - financial particularly - falls a bit short for me.

I don't the family will have asked for a mural of Captain Sir Tom to be done in Manchester any more than George Floyd's family will have asked for a mural to be done in Manchester, but there they are.
Potato tomato.

That response makes no sense. Do you ever do things to benefit people you'll probably never meet?
 
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If you want to give to charity, please give to a local small scale charity where you can actually see where the money is going. Or even better give items instead of money.

No, please don’t do that unless it’s asked for. Absolute nightmare for small charities trying to store things they don’t need.
Absolutely no slight on the man or what he achieved at all. Clearly a top bloke

But what frustrates me is that we shouldn’t need this kind of thing to raise money for the NHS, that’s why we pay tax. It’s just a shame that it’s diverted into Tory donors’ pockets.

It’s been mentioned on the thread but this is nonsense. NHS Charities Together is to the NHS what a PTA is to a school. I’m no fan of the Tories, but none of it goes to Tory Donors.
 
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No, please don’t do that unless it’s asked for. Absolute nightmare for small charities trying to store things they don’t need.


It’s been mentioned on the thread but this is nonsense. NHS Charities Together is to the NHS what a PTA is to a school. I’m no fan of the Tories, but none of it goes to Tory Donors.
My broader point around charities holds.
 
The NHS doesn't cover everything. In my Dad's case, he was a pensioner, he'd had a stroke and was partially paralysed and we knew he only had a few years life left in him. The NHS refused to fund physio for him as harsh as it sounds, they have a limited amount of money and it is better spent on physio for a younger person with potentially a longer life ahead of him.

At the time he was stuck in a bed and unable sit up for long so he was very limited in how much he could leave the house. We funded the physio and paid for him to go to a day centre which is purely funded by donations and fees charged to service users (which can be means tested and reduced or waived in some cases). After working with them, he was able to sit up in a wheelchair for longer periods of time, so he was able to go out places more. We had some decent trips out with him like seeing the Flying Scotsman at Shildon, he was on the Northern Spire bridge on opening day, we took him along Roker Pier when it opened again etc. If it hadn't have been for the charity running the day centre, he'd have never have done those things.

We asked for donations instead of flowers for the funeral and the day centre bought a set of those parallel bar railings. I still follow them on Facebook and it's lovely seeing people learning how to walk again using them. If I did the GNR or something again, I'd certainly try and raise some money for them as they really do help people where the NHS can't.
 
It’s been mentioned on the thread but this is nonsense. NHS Charities Together is to the NHS what a PTA is to a school. I’m no fan of the Tories, but none of it goes to Tory Donors.
This is what NHS Charities do, in their own words:
"There are more than 240 NHS charities across the UK and most of them focus on helping our hospitals do more. Collectively these charities give £1 million every day to the NHS so that people can stay well for longer and get better faster. In recent years NHS charities have funded major capital projects, pioneering research and medical equipment at our hospitals, helping patients access the best possible care when they need it most."

They buy stuff that the NHS would often need to buy themselves. So the Tories can indeed underfund the NHS, and let the charity-arm pick up the tab.
That's what people object to.
 
I'm not sure they have much of a choice. I mean they can try but while it's still fresh in mind, he only died in February and his 101st birthday would have been this month.
As we're still (hopefully not for much longer) in lockdown it's a case of reminding people they can still do something positive if they want to.
He, like many people are now almost more owned by the public than the family. They don't need the money so the insinuation they're doing it for personal gain - financial particularly - falls a bit short for me.

I don't the family will have asked for a mural of Captain Sir Tom to be done in Manchester any more than George Floyd's family will have asked for a mural to be done in Manchester, but there they are.


That response makes no sense. Do you ever do things to benefit people you'll probably never meet?
Yes I do.

tomato potato
 
There are things which are beyond the remit of taxes mind you. It is often down to groups or individuals to manifest change if they want it.



Thank you baked potato?
Oh of course, I’m massively over simplifying. I get that.

but I wonder how many cancer research charities there are worldwide, or even in the U.K.? As well as being hugely inefficient, surely cancer research should be funded through general taxation? Look at what a coordinated response to Covid has done

btw. For those that work for charities, and those that contribute - great. No criticism at all. I just think the system is broken
 

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