Charity Commission Report Finds Misconduct in Captain Tom Foundation
The family of renowned pandemic fundraiser Captain Sir Tom Moore has been accused of damaging public trust in charities by the Charity Commission, following a comprehensive investigation into the Captain Tom Foundation.
The report revealed a series of significant ethical breaches by Captain Tom’s daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband Colin Ingram-Moore. The Charity Commission found a “pattern of behaviour” where the family prioritized personal interests over charitable objectives.
Key findings include:
Book Deal Controversy
The family’s company, Club Nook, received a £1.47m advance for Captain Tom’s three books, with repeated assurances that part of the money would support the foundation. However, the charity has not received any funds from the publishing agreement. When asked twice to donate money to charity, the Ingram-Moores declined, leading the commission to conclude the publications were “a purely commercial endeavour” that damaged public trust.
Virgin Media O2 Awards
Between 2020 and 2021, Captain Tom and his daughter received personal payments for judging awards. Hannah Ingram-Moore, while serving as the charity’s interim chief executive, was paid £18,000 by Virgin Media O2. The commission found she failed to disclose this conflict of interest to the charity’s trustees.
Unauthorized Spa Complex
The family obtained planning permission for a “Captain Tom Foundation building” beside their home, which ultimately contained a spa pool and home cinema. A council enforcement officer described the structure as “wholly unauthorised” and the family was forced to demolish it in February.
Salary and Governance Issues
The report highlighted additional concerns:
– Hannah Ingram-Moore was involved in discussions about her own salary, with expectations of around £150,000 annually
– She deliberately removed conflict of interest clauses from her employment contract
– The family’s company owned Captain Tom’s trademarks, requiring trustees to seek permission for using his name
Consequences
In July, the Ingram-Moores were disqualified from being charity trustees or holding senior management positions. The Charity Commission’s chief executive, David Holdsworth, urged them to donate a substantial amount to the charity and emphasized the need for a clear distinction between personal and charitable interests.
The £38.9m raised by Captain Sir Tom for NHS Charities Together during the pandemic was not part of this inquiry and was fully donated to NHS charities.
The Captain Tom Foundation is currently not actively seeking donations or making payments, though it has not been formally closed.
The Charity Commission described the findings as demonstrating “repeated failures of governance and integrity” and maintained that the inquiry was fair, balanced, and independent.
