The Charity Commission, the charity watchdog in the UK, has initiated a statutory inquiry into the Captain Tom Foundation following fresh concerns regarding the involvement of Captain Sir Tom Moore’s family. The foundation was established in memory of the late war veteran, who raised £39 million for NHS charities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Charity Commission expressed concerns about the relationship between the charity and a company associated with Captain Tom’s daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, and her husband Colin, as well as the decision-making processes of the foundation’s trustees and its overall governance.
Previously, the commission had opened a case into the charity in March 2021, one month after Captain Tom’s death, to review the organization’s setup. However, it has now decided to investigate payments made by the foundation to a company linked to Mrs. Ingram-Moore and her husband, focusing on the foundation’s independence from the family.
Additionally, the commission raised concerns about intellectual property rights and the ability of a company connected to the couple to trademark names associated with “Captain Tom” without objection from the charity. This move potentially generated significant profit for the company.
The Captain Tom Foundation responded by stating its willingness to cooperate closely with investigators. However, the foundation pointed out that regulators were informed before its formation that intellectual property rights would be held in a private family trust.
The inquiry, which began on June 16, will examine whether the trustees have been responsible for mismanagement, misconduct, or financial losses due to unauthorized private benefits. It will also investigate the trustees’ handling of conflicts of interest related to private companies connected to the Ingram-Moore family and their compliance with charity law.
The funds raised by Captain Sir Tom and donated to NHS Charities Together prior to the establishment of the foundation are not part of the scope of the inquiry.
Helen Stephenson, CEO of the Charity Commission, emphasized the importance of protecting public trust in charities and stated that the decision to open the inquiry was made after mounting concerns. The commission aims to safeguard public confidence and has access to a range of protective and enforcement powers through the formal investigation.
The Captain Tom Foundation, registered on June 5, 2020, as a grant-making charity for the advancement of public health and wellbeing, initially had Mrs. Ingram-Moore as its leader. However, she stepped aside from the chief executive role following intervention by the Charity Commission.
The foundation faced previous scrutiny over its financial accounts, which revealed that in its first year, it spent less than half of the nearly £1.1 million in donations received. While the foundation paid out grants of £160,000 to charitable causes, it spent £240,000 on management and fundraising costs. The commission investigated the accounts and concluded that the specific payments were reasonable reimbursements for expenses incurred during the formation of the charity.
The Captain Tom Foundation postponed Captain Tom Day, an event planned in collaboration with Dame Esther Rantzen to celebrate older people, due to uncertainty surrounding the charity’s finances.