The family of national hero Captain Sir Tom Moore has been criticised by a watchdog for allegedly pocketing £1 million in his name.
A damning report suggests Sir Tom’s daughter and her husband benefited significantly from their association with a charity established during the pandemic. The Charity Commission’s investigation into The Captain Tom Foundation revealed “repeated failures of governance and integrity”. Captain Sir Tom Moore, a World War II veteran, raised nearly £39 million during the Covid-19 crisis by walking 100 lengths of his garden before his 100th birthday.
His fundraising efforts captured the hearts of the nation, leading to an unprecedented wave of donations. He was awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, featured in a chart-topping music single, and was knighted by the Queen in July 2020. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 100 in February 2021 after contracting Covid-19.
(Image: PA)
His daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore, 53, and her husband Colin, 66, set up The Captain Tom Foundation in his honour. However, it became the subject of several allegations, prompting investigations by the Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator, reports the Mirror.
The Charity Commission first opened a compliance case in March 2021 and began reviewing the organisation’s setup. It launched a statutory inquiry – typically reserved for only the most serious cases – in June 2022.
Now, the watchdog’s report has been published, and it is scathing in its criticism of Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband Colin.
The report found multiple instances of misconduct by the couple, who have already been banned from acting as charity trustees. It stated that their “misconduct and/or mismanagement” demonstrated a “repeated pattern of behaviour”.
The report revealed that sales from Captain Tom’s autobiography ‘Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day’ did not benefit The Captain Tom Foundation. In the book’s introduction, he spoke of being given “the chance to raise even more money for the charitable foundation now established in my name.”
However, an advance of £1.4m for the three-book deal was paid to Club Nook – a company where the Ingram-Moores are directors.
(Image: Getty Images)
Literary agent Bev James, who represented Captain Tom, said the couple were “very clear” they didn’t want the money to go to charity. The Commission stated that “to date, the charity has not received any money from the first publishing agreement”.
It added that the public “would understandably feel misled” upon learning that the charity did not benefit from the book sales. The report criticised their failure to honour the donation, stating it “has seriously damaged the reputation of the charity”.
It urged the couple to make a “suitable donation” to “honour the commitment that Captain Tom stated in the foreword” to the book. The report also indicated that Mrs Ingram-Moore had set out expectations for a £150,000 salary before becoming the charity’s chief executive.
The report also disclosed that she personally pocketed an £18,000 fee for her appearance at an awards ceremony. Only £2,000 was donated to the charity after she stated that her presence at the Virgin Media Awards was in a personal capacity.
(Image: Cpl Robert Weideman/MOD / SWNS)
The couple were criticised by the commission for using the foundation’s name in a planning application for a spa pool block at their Bedfordshire residence. Mrs Ingram-Moore and her husband attributed this mistake to being occupied with “undertaking global media work”.
The Ingram-Moores expressed feeling “unfairly and unjustly” treated, criticising the commission for “selective storytelling”.
They argued: “A credible regulatory body would provide the full truth, rather than misrepresenting, and conflating facts and timelines that align with a predetermined agenda.”
“True accountability demands transparency, not selective storytelling.”
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