A YEAR has passed since the death of Captain Sir Tom Moore, but his legacy lives on.

The centenarian became a national hero during the coronavirus pandemic through his fundraising efforts in aid of the NHS.

What started off as a small-scale event to walk 100 lengths of his garden saw him raise more than £32million for NHS Charities Together.

This was distributed to hospitals across the country, including Warrington and Halton.

In tribute to Captain Sir Tom, Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust named the Cheshire and Merseyside Treatment Centre at Halton Hospital in his honour.

But his legacy lives on further through a number of projects funded through his efforts, and a board is to be installed at Halton Hospital in tribute to him

“Captain Sir Tom was a symbol of hope during the Covid-19 pandemic, and to our staff he was a national treasure,” a spokesman for Warrington and Halton hospitals said.

A board is to be installed at Halton Hospital in tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore

A board is to be installed at Halton Hospital in tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore

“We renamed a hospital building in his honour, and Warrington and Halton Hospitals Charity was a beneficiary of a number of grants from NHS Charities Together thanks in large to the £32million-plus raised by Captain Sir Tom.

“With this much needed and appreciated funding, a total of £165,000 enabled us to implement a large number of projects to support our patients and our staff during the pandemic.”

Among these projects was the creation of a bereavement garden at the Kendrick Wing at Warrington Hospital to remember victims of Covid-19.

Donations also led to the provision of iPads and tablets to support virtual visiting and the creation of the Sanctuary Hub, offering mental health and wellbeing support to staff.

In addition, funding derived from Captain Sir Tom’s efforts led to the creation of the Habab Clinical Training suite in memory of former nurse Jo Habab.

Further counselling and mental health provision was able to be sourced, as well as upgrades to staff relaxation areas and the provision of fresh food, fruit and vegetables to staff unable to leave wards.

Moreover, a large grant application was successful in enabling patients in both Warrington and Halton to access the Healthy and Home service provided in partnership with the voluntary sector.