Imaginative Sheffield nurse Ian Todd raised hundreds for the PHA UK by setting up a virtual swear jar with his friends.
Ian, who works at the city’s Northern General Hospital, decided to ‘fine’ any friend who used a swear word during their group chats on WhatsApp, raising £300 during November 2020.
Ian, 28, chose our charity in support of his sister Lily, who has pulmonary hypertension.
Despite her living close by in a neighbouring town, Ian hadn’t seen 29-year-old Lily for almost a year because of her vulnerability to COVID-19. He said: “My sister is very poorly, and I thought that donating the money to the PHA UK, who have supported our family so much, would be a nice thing to do.”
Ian is pictured with friend Joshua Evers, who was the WhatsApp group member fined the most for swearing. The pair delivered the money in person to the Sheffield Pulmonary Vascular Disease Unit, where PHA UK chair Iain Armstrong works as a nurse consultant.
Iain said: “This was a fantastic way of raising money safely, and we applaud such a simple but clever idea. We were very touched to receive this donation and I would like to say a big thank you to Ian and his potty-mouthed friends!”
Ian is pictured below with sister Lily and mum Lynda, before the pandemic.
