Captain Tom’s family ‘repeatedly benefitted’ from ‘mismanaged’ charity, inquiry finds

An investigation has revealed that the family of the late Captain Tom Moore has "consistently gained" from the poorly handled charity established in his honor.

Today, the Charity Commission released the results of its official investigation into the Captain Tom Foundation after a three-year study.

The report highlights numerous significant cases of bad behavior and poor management within the charity, particularly regarding the actions and conduct of Hannah Ingram-Moore (the daughter of Captain Tom) and her husband Colin.

The blog highlights that the charity was established during the Covid-19 pandemic, at a time when there was unprecedented media attention on Captain Tom and his family. This created a particularly challenging environment, which was further intensified by Captain Tom's eventual passing.

Nonetheless, it states: "The commission has determined that Mr. and Mrs. Ingram-Moore's inappropriate conduct and/or poor management were not one-time occurrences, but rather a consistent pattern of behavior that persisted even after the most challenging times of the pandemic."

NCVO cautioned that the report might undermine public trust in charitable donations. However, they emphasized that it doesn’t accurately represent the efforts of numerous charities that follow ethical decision-making practices.

"Cycle Of Repeated Behaviors"

The regulator has initiated a compliance investigation into the foundation, which was established in June 2020 following Captain Tom's remarkable efforts that raised more than £38.9 million for NHS Charities Together's Covid-19 fundraising campaign.

In June 2022, their involvement with the Captain Tom Foundation developed into a formal investigation, prompted by worries that matters related to intellectual property and trademark rights had not been adequately addressed when the charity was set up.

Hannah Ingram-Moore served as a trustee from February 2021 until she stepped down in March 2021, and she held the position of interim chief executive from August 2021 to April 2022. Colin Ingram-Moore was a trustee from February 2021 until June 2024.

Following its investigation, the commission barred Hannah and Colin Ingram-Moore from serving as trustees or high-level managers at any charity for 10 and 8 years, respectively.

The investigation revealed that Hannah and Colin Ingram-Moore exhibited a consistent pattern of behavior that allowed them to personally profit from their engagement with the Captain Tom Foundation.

The report highlights the relationship between them and the charity's ties to their private businesses, such as Club Nook and CTV. It points out ongoing issues with handling conflicts of interest, which resulted in benefits—both direct and indirect—for the family.

The piece also takes aim at the charity's other trustees, Stephen Jones and Simon DeMaid (who stepped down on March 15, 2021). It points out that they sometimes fell short in providing proper oversight and administrative management.

Repeated Misconduct And Mismanagement Cases

The report points out several cases of improper behavior and poor management by the Ingram-Moore family, including a partnership with Virgin Media for ambassador services.

On September 22, 2021, Hannah Ingram-Moore made a deal with Virgin Media to be a judge and host for the Virgin Media Captain Tom Foundation Connector Awards.

The contract identified the ambassador as “Hannah Ingram-Moore representing the Captain Tom Foundation,” who received a personal payment of £18,000, while Virgin Media contributed £2,000 to the charity.

According to the commission's report, the records from that period do not show that Hannah Ingram-Moore shared the project's specifics, including her payment, with all the trustees during their meetings.

Although she insisted that her contract with Virgin Media was in her personal capacity, the investigation disagrees with her claim. It determined that there is no proof indicating that this work was performed outside of her regular contracted hours or that she had scheduled vacation time to fulfill the role.

The investigation revealed that by accepting payments for her role as an ambassador, Mrs. Ingram-Moore established a “conflict of interest that the entire board of trustees should have been informed about in order to address it properly.”

Public Misled On Multiple Occasions

The report indicates that the Ingram-Moore family provided misleading information to the public on multiple occasions. This was particularly evident in their management of communications regarding book publishing agreements related to Captain Tom’s work, as well as comments about Hannah Ingram-Moore's salary.

Hannah Ingram-Moore has entered into a publishing contract with Penguin Books and Club Nook, as well as a three-way agreement involving the charity and both companies.

The family initially stated that the profits from the first publishing deal would help fund the charity, or that they would make a direct donation to it.

The report reveals that the charity did not receive any money from the sales of the books. Instead, those sales ended up being a strictly business venture that primarily benefited the Ingram-Moore family's company, Club Nook.

The report indicates that people clearly believed that buying the books would generate money for the charity, and that the Ingram-Moores did not make an effort to change or clarify this belief.

The investigation looks into the actions of Mr. and Mrs. Ingram-Moore regarding the initial publishing agreement, as well as their decision not to address the issues. This lack of action has the potential to harm public trust and confidence in both the charity in question and charities as a whole.

"Findings May Erode Public Trust In Giving"

David Holdsworth, the head of the commission, commended Captain Tom for his remarkable efforts in raising money for NHS Charities Together. However, he expressed concerns that the foundation established in Captain Tom's honor has not embodied the “selflessness” that is at the heart of charitable work.

“The community, along with the legal framework, justifiably anticipates that individuals engaged in charitable work will clearly differentiate their personal interests from the interests of the charity and the people they aim to help,” he stated.

"The situation was different for the Captain Tom Foundation."

"We observed numerous cases where private and charitable interests intertwined, resulting in Mr. and Mrs. Ingram-Moore reaping considerable personal advantages. Collectively, these issues reflect a level of misconduct and/or mismanagement."

In reaction to this, Saskia Konynenburg, the executive director of NCVO, commented: "We understand that this information might shake people's trust in donating, but it shouldn't."

“This situation doesn’t represent the efforts of the countless charities that follow ethical guidelines, prioritize honesty and transparency, and positively impact millions of lives every single day.”

Charities are in greater need of public support than ever, as they confront increasing demands and rising expenses associated with providing their services, all while their funding keeps decreasing.

"The situation in this case is quite distinctive, and the results of the investigation are evident."

In a statement, ACEVO highlighted that this situation emphasizes the vital importance of strong and effective regulation for preserving the well-being and integrity of our industry.

"It is crucial to safeguard the confidence that people and organizations have in charities. When incidents of this nature, though infrequent, do happen and cause significant harm, regulators need to respond appropriately."

"This not only protects the industry but also helps everyone who depends on it for assistance."