Viewers have pledged over 103 million minutes for Good Morning Britain’s 1 Million Minutes campaign in the biggest ever milestone for the charity initiative, which asks people to donate their time rather than money in a bid to combat loneliness.
Now in its sixth consecutive year, 2021’s 1 Million Minutes running total has blown previous years’ totals out of the water – 2020 was the campaign’s biggest ever year before now, with 87 million minutes pledged – and there’s still two weeks until pledges draw to a close on 31st December.
On today’s show, the numbers rocketed with the appearance of inspirational 101-year-old Dabirul Choudhury OBE who captured the hearts of the nation. He volunteers as a ‘dementia friend’ for the Alzheimers Society, calling people who are battling dementia, and impressed viewers with his can-do attitude and an impromptu poetry recital.
He joined presenters Ranvir Singh and Adil Ray in the studio with his son Atique to talk about his volunteering work. As well as his work with those with dementia, inspired by Sir Captain Tom Moore, he also walked around his garden raising £1 million for charity.
“We call him the rockstar, because he’s got a gig nearly every day,” Atique explained.
When asked by Ranvir why volunteering is so important to him, Dabirul explained:
“This is my habit to help mankind in the world. If I make a habit of helping, I feel pleasure. If I do not help somebody I feel poor. That is why my mission is to help mankind in the world.”
“Three things I have to remember. I am walking not for myself, but for the people who are needy, the people who are helpless, the people in distress, the people who [have] dementia. My ambition is to help mankind”
On the older generation, Atique said:
“It’s important to remember the older generation and be part of that journey. He’s done that all his life. He’s always sacrificed his time and resources to help people. Especially now with what’s happening with Covid. It’s essential we go out of our way and help as many people as we can, and think about everybody else.”
On his father’s work as a dementia friend, Atique explained:
“He regularly has people calling him, he calls a lot of people in his community. When things were open he would visit a lot of people who have relatives and family members who have dementia because in the Asian culture we look at things in a different way. So it’s very important to highlight this and try to give them support and acknowledgement.”
Dabirul’s inspirational story had viewers pledging over four million minutes during the segment alone.
Good Morning Britain weekdays from 6am on ITV and ITV Hub
