Inquiry reveals Captain Sir Tom’s family benefited from charity

A long-anticipated report has concluded that the family of Captain Sir Tom Moore, the well-known pandemic fundraiser, undermined public confidence in charitable organizations by not contributing any of the £1.4 million obtained from his book agreement. According to the Charity Commission, his daughter and son-in-law exhibited a “pattern of behaviour” where they gained personally from the Captain Tom Foundation, leading to people “would understandably feel misled”. The World War Two veteran gained widespread recognition during the initial Covid-19 lockdown by repeatedly walking along his driveway in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire. The £38.9 million that Captain Sir Tom raised for NHS Charities Together through his endeavors was not included in the commission’s investigation, and the entirety of that amount was directed to NHS charities. Captain Sir Tom’s family stated they had experienced “unfairly and unjustly” treatment. David Holdsworth, chief executive of the Charity Commission, remarked, “The charity set up in his name has not lived up to that legacy of others before self.” He added, “The public – and the law – rightly expect those involved in charities to make an unambiguous distinction between their personal interests, and those of the charity and the beneficiaries they are there to serve.” Mr. Holdsworth noted multiple occurrences of a “blurring of boundaries between private and charitable interests” and that Hannah and Colin Ingram-Moore received substantial benefits. He declared, “Together the failings amount to misconduct and/or mismanagement.” He further stated that the report identified “repeated failures of governance and integrity” and that the inquiry was fair, balanced, and independent. Nevertheless, the commission determined that the family’s conduct did not constitute criminal behavior and, consequently, did not forward its conclusions to the police. Paul Latham, the Charity Commission’s director of communications, informed the BBC: “We haven’t seen evidence of a crime. If we do, we have very close relations with the police and of course, would do so.” He continued, “There is a high bar for criminal offences and we have not identified that.” The Captain Tom Foundation declared in July 2023 that it was no longer actively soliciting donations or issuing payments, though the foundation remains operational. The Captain Tom Foundation was officially registered as a grant-making charity two months subsequent to the veteran commencing his walk, with celebrities such as David Beckham and Dame Judi Dench later assisting in promoting its numerous fundraising initiatives. The father of two passed away at the age of 100 in February 2021, due to coronavirus. His son-in-law, Mr. Ingram-Moore, assumed a trustee role for the foundation in the same month, and Captain Sir Tom’s daughter, Mrs. Ingram-Moore, took on the position of interim chief executive later that year. The couple’s involvement became subject to scrutiny in June 2022, when the commission initiated a statutory inquiry to ascertain whether they had privately gained at the charity’s detriment. The regulator’s conclusions indicated that Club Nook, a private company established by the Ingram-Moores in April 2020, received an advance payment of £1.47 million for Captain Sir Tom’s three books, among them his highly successful autobiography, Tomorrow Will be a Good Day. Penguin, the publisher, and Carver PR, the promoter, stated that the family provided repeated assurances that a portion of the advance would be allocated to establish and finance the foundation. Furthermore, a press release, diverse marketing materials, and the prologue of Captain Sir Tom’s memoir uniformly declared that the books would serve to support or generate funds for the foundation. Nevertheless, the charity has not yet received any funds from the publishing contract. In 2022, the commission reported that the inquiry requested Mr. and Mrs. Ingram-Moore on two separate occasions to “rectify matters by making a donation to charity,” but “on both occasions they declined.” The report concluded that the publications represented “a purely commercial endeavour” and “had damaged public trust” in charitable organizations. From 2020 to 2021, Captain Sir Tom served as a judge for the Virgin Media Local Legends Awards, receiving a personal payment of £10,000. The subsequent year, his daughter was invited to be a judge and entered into an ambassador agreement with Virgin Media O2, concurrently serving as chief executive of the Captain Tom Foundation, for which she received £18,000. The ensuing Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Awards featured the charity’s logo on its award plaque. She had previously been appointed interim chief executive at the charity, with an annual salary of £85,000. Nevertheless, the report indicated a lack of documentation showing she notified the charity trustees when she engaged in the financial agreement with Virgin Media. The commission stated its disagreement with Mrs. Ingram-Moore’s claim that the work was performed in a personal capacity. It determined this generated a conflict of interest, and her inability to prevent or handle this circumstance “amounted to misconduct and-or mismanagement,” further noting that this implied the payment she obtained constituted an “unauthorised benefit” to her husband, who held a trustee position at that point. In 2021, the Ingram-Moores obtained council approval to construct a Captain Tom Foundation building adjacent to their residence, having cited the charity’s name and number “numerous times” in the planning submission. Yet, the completed structure, which included a spa pool and home cinema, was characterized by council enforcement officer Richard Proctor as “wholly unauthorised,” leading to the family being compelled to dismantle it in February. The Charity Commission determined that the couple neglected to consult the trustees regarding the spa complex, implying “they were using the charity and its name inappropriately for their private benefit”. The Ingram-Moores informed the inquiry that the charity’s name was mistakenly included in the initial planning application, asserting they were occupied with “global media work” at that period, but maintained their intention to utilize the building for charitable objectives. Additional findings presented in the report revealed: In July, Mr. and Mrs. Ingram-Moore were barred from serving as trustees or holding senior management roles in charities for durations of eight and 10 years, respectively. Mr. Holdsworth implored the Ingram-Moores to “follow through on the commitment that was made and donate a substantial amount to the charity.” He stated that the decision to pursue legal action rested with the sole remaining trustee, and the Commission “stood ready to provide advice as they considered that.” A spokesperson for the Captain Tom Foundation issued a statement expressing that it was “pleased with the Charity Commission’s unequivocal findings regarding the Ingram-Moores’ misconduct.” The spokesperson continued, “We join The Charity Commission in imploring the Ingram-Moores to rectify matters by returning the funds due to the Foundation, so that they can be donated to well-deserving charities as intended by the late Captain Sir Tom Moore.” The spokesperson concluded, “We hope they do so immediately and without the need for further action”. In response to the Commission’s report, the Ingram-Moores asserted they had been treated “unfairly and unjustly.” They claimed the two-year inquiry had exacted a “serious toll” on the family’s well-being and characterized the process as “excessive,” further suggesting that the charities watchdog possessed a “predetermined agenda.” Their statement declared, “True accountability demands transparency, not selective storytelling,” and affirmed that they “never took a penny” from public donations. For news from Beds, Herts, and Bucks, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information on our external linking policy is available.