'I was shocked' by Captain Tom charity, says ex-boss

The previous CEO of the Captain Tom Foundation expressed to the BBC that he was "stunned" and "astonished" by his discoveries regarding the organization.

In his initial interview, Jack Gilbert revealed that he found some practices he deemed questionable. He also expressed his belief that Captain Sir Tom Moore’s daughter had some self-serving motivations behind her actions.

This follows the Charity Commission's discovery that Hannah and Colin Ingram-Moore gained advantages from their connection to the charity established in honor of Capt Sir Tom. This included funds from a £1.4 million book deal that went to a family business instead of being directed to the Foundation.

Mrs. Ingram-Moore has been reached out to for her response.

Captain Sir Tom, a veteran of World War II, gained widespread recognition in 2020 during the pandemic when he raised millions for NHS charities by walking around his garden while in lockdown.

Following his passing in February 2021, the charity oversight organization launched an investigation into the Captain Tom Foundation.

Experienced charity leader Mr. Gilbert was brought in to succeed Mrs. Ingram-Moore as the chief executive. He managed the charity for five months before it had to be put on hold because of an investigation by the charity commission.

He shared with BBC News, "I have to say, I was completely taken aback when I arrived."

I was surprised by how many systems failed to follow established best practices.

One of my initial tasks was, naturally, to obtain recognized charity status for the foundation. This involved navigating a variety of challenges along the way.

The reality was that even though we had implemented several of them, there were still many important practices that were missing.

Mr. Gilbert mentioned that while he was arranging the management accounts in the proper format for a charity, something that hadn't been done before he got there, he came across an invoice from Virgin Media that had been canceled.

The Charity Commission discovered that Mrs. Ingram-Moore received £18,000 for her participation in the Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Awards.

She stated that her participation was on a personal basis and during her own time; however, the commission countered this, indicating that there was no proof to back her claim, and the charity only received £2,000 as a result.

Mr. Gilbert stated that if you’re the CEO of a charity and acting on behalf of the organization, it’s quite rare—almost unprecedented—for the charity not to gain from the efforts you put in during your work hours.

He expressed that, in his opinion, it is "immorally wrong" for someone in charge of a charity to gain personal advantages while undermining the charity's mission.

Mr. Gilbert mentioned that he became "somewhat alarmed" and shared this payment, along with other discoveries he made while reviewing the accounts, with the chairperson, who subsequently informed the board.

He mentioned that, in his opinion, there was an element of self-interest involved.

The commission's report identified a consistent behavior where the couple gained personal advantages from their connection to the Captain Tom Foundation, noting that it would be reasonable for people to feel deceived.

The commission requested that the Ingram-Moores, who have been barred from serving as charity trustees, contribute an appropriate amount to the charity as a response.

A press announcement, along with different promotional content and the introduction of Capt Sir Tom’s memoir, mentioned that the proceeds from the books would help support the foundation.

A representative from the foundation expressed satisfaction with the Charity Commission's clear conclusions about the misconduct of the Ingram-Moores.

Mr. Gilbert mentioned that the foundation represented a "missed chance."

He explained that the goal of our concept was to establish a charity focused on combating ageism. This organization would support older individuals in finding work and help foster connections among seniors who feel isolated within the larger community.

In reaction to the report from the charity watchdog, the Ingram-Moores claimed that revealing the book deal was an invasion of their privacy. They mentioned that "considerable amounts" were paid to their literary agent, legal advisors, and public relations experts, with some of the funds being allocated to help the Captain Tom Foundation.

The Ingram-Moores asserted that there was no mishandling of the charity's funds and claimed they were subjected to "unfair and unjust" treatment by the investigation.

Further contributions by Jon Ironmonger