Michael Ball Expresses Disappointment Following Captain Tom Charity Report

West End performer Michael Ball has conveyed his “disappointed” reaction to a report that identified “mismanagement” within a charity established in honor of Captain Sir Tom Moore. Ball and Moore had previously collaborated on the charity single You’ll Never Walk Alone, which raised funds for NHS Charities Together and sold nearly 36,000 copies in its initial 48 hours. A report from the Charity Commission revealed that Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband demonstrated a “pattern of behaviour” through which they personally gained from the Captain Tom Foundation. The report clarified that no findings were connected to the charity single. Ball stated, “It was something I was so incredibly proud of for all the right motives, to see it twisted, really it’s a real shame.” Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Ball reiterated his feeling of “disappointed.” He remarked, “I hear about this story of him, get him on the radio, we’ve got a bond, the money starts coming in, and it grew, and then I had this idea of this record. “It’s entirely, including from Tom, entirely altruistic, entirely just wanting a focus, something for people to bond with, to show the good, and now it’s almost like I don’t want to talk about my association.”” The World War Two veteran achieved widespread recognition for walking laps of his driveway at his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, during the first Covid-19 lockdown. In April 2020, Capt Sir Tom and Ball recorded a duet alongside the NHS Voices of Care Choir, which subsequently reached number one on the UK singles chart. At that time, Ball had said: “There isn’t one of us who has failed to be inspired by Captain Tom Moore.” “It is one of the single greatest honours of my career to sing with this genuine national hero.” However, a report later uncovered a misleading implication that proceeds from book sales would go to the foundation, when in fact the funds were paid to the family company Club Nook. David Holdsworth, chief executive of the Charity Commission, commented: “The charity set up in his name has not lived up to that legacy of others before self.” He added that the report had identified repeated instances of a “blurring of boundaries between private and charitable interests.” For news updates from Beds, Herts, and Bucks, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.