IN the wake of pandemic hero Captain Sir Tom Moore’s death, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has explained how it is using the money he raised last year.

In April, to celebrate his 100th birthday, Captain Tom began a fundraising campaign for NHS Charities Together, completing 100 25-metre lengths of his garden over several days.

By the day of his birthday on April 30, he had raised more than £30 million, and eventually raised almost £33m.

And following his death last week after contracting pneumonia and Covid-19, the health board has explained the difference his efforts have made to lives in Gwent.

Asked how much money the health board had received, and how it will be used, a spokeswoman for the health board said: “The money raised by Sir Captain Tom Moore is distributed via the NHS Charities Together, and to date we’ve received £230,000, for which we are extremely grateful.

“Half of this money is being used for additional support for our Employee Wellbeing Service, with emphasis on supporting both individuals and teams to recover, adapt and sustain themselves during the pandemic.

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“The other half of the donation money has been used to purchase various items to improve our patients’ and staff’s experiences, including tablets, radios, CD players, and children’s activity packs.”

Capt Sir Tom died at Bedford Hospital on Tuesday last week, two days after being admitted with breathing problems.

His daughter Lucy Teixeira has since paid tribute to him.

She told ITV: "He leaves us with a really strong, powerful message - ‘tomorrow is a good day’.

"Those words represent his whole life to me. He has shown resilience, courage, and I have seen him do that all his life.

"At the moment, my sister Hannah and I are planning a careful send-off that is suitable to him, quite quiet in a manner that he would say to us, 'well done, girls'.”