Captain Tom Foundation

UK-based foundation
The Captain Tom Foundation
Founded5 June 2020 (2020-06-05)
TypeCharitable organisation
Registration no.1189808
Websitecaptaintom.org

The Captain Tom Foundation is a charitable foundation established in June 2020 to recognise and raise money for organisations supporting the elderly in the United Kingdom. Named after Captain Tom Moore, the charity came under criticism for its high costs relative to the grants it gave out, as well as for the spa building the CEO—Moore's daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore—had built at her home in the foundation's name. The Charity Commission began an investigation into the charity in 2022, and in October 2023 a spokesperson for the Ingram-Moore family stated that the organisation was "unlikely to exist" much longer.[1]

Moore's fundraising walks amassed donations of more than £30 million for NHS Charities Together, and was separate from the Captain Tom Foundation.[2]

History

The foundation is a charitable foundation bearing Captain Tom Moore's name that was established in June 2020.[3] The foundation's declared aim is to recognise and raise money for organisations supporting the elderly in the UK.[4]

Moore's daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, and her husband Colin, became trustees of the charity in February 2021.[3] In March 2021, the charity proposed employing Hannah on a salary of £60,000 per annum for three days a week and later submitted a revised proposal to appoint her as full time CEO on a salary of £100,000. This was rejected by the Charity Commission for England and Wales in July 2021 as "neither reasonable nor justifiable".[5] A month later, the Charity Commission permitted the charity to appoint Hannah as interim CEO on a salary of £85,000 per year, on a rolling contract for a maximum of nine months.[5][6]

In its first year, the Captain Tom Foundation spent £240,000 on management and fundraising costs, while just £160,000 was given away in charitable grants.[7] During that year payments of £37,942 were made to Maytrix Group Limited, a company under the joint control of Colin and Hannah Ingram-Moore, in respect of website costs (£5,030), photography costs (£550), office rental (£4,500), telephone costs (£656) and third-party consultancy costs (£27,205); reimbursement of costs of £16,097 were made to Club Nook Limited (a company under the control of Hannah Ingram-Moore) for accommodation, security and transportation, and payments of £1,686 to her in respect of motor, post, subscription and travel costs.[8]

Between 2021 and 2022, Hannah Ingram-Moore helped to judge awards ceremonies for the Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Awards, which included the name of the foundation and its logo on awards plaques.[9] She was paid £18,000 in appearance fees to her family company, Maytrix Group, of which £16,000 went to the Ingram-Moores and £2,000 went to the Captain Tom Foundation.[10]

In February 2022, the Charity Commission announced it would review the charity's accounts.[2] On 30 June 2022, the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the charity due to questions regarding its financial relationship with members of the Ingram-Moore family.[11][3]

In July 2023, the Ingram-Moores were ordered to demolish an unauthorised spa building at their Grade II-listed home in Marston Moreteyne, Bedfordshire.[12] The "Captain Tom Foundation Building" had been intended to be used by the Captain Tom Foundation, but plans for the partly constructed building were retrospectively revised to contain a spa pool, shower, toilets and a kitchen.[12][13] Independent trustees of the Captain Tom Foundation said they were not aware of planning permission sought by the Ingram-Moores in the foundation's name.[14] In July 2023, the charity said it had stopped taking donations pending the findings of the Charity Commission's inquiry.[15] In October 2023, the Ingram-Moores' barrister stated that the charity was "unlikely to exist" much longer.[16]

Club Nook Limited

Club Nook Limited, a private company owned by the Ingram-Moores and their two children,[17] owns 11 trademarks related to Moore, including "Captain Tom", "Sir Tom Moore", "Captain Sir Tom", "Captain Tom Moore", "Walk with Tom", "Colonel Tom", "Colonel Tom Moore" and "Tomorrow will be a good day".[18][19][20][21][22][23] In 2022, Hannah Ingram-Moore told The Times that "Club Nook has not profited from branded merchandise/memorabilia, that Club Nook has not been paid by the foundation for use of its trademarks and that Club Nook's revenues have been generated by other activities".[24] Club Nook recorded £809,663 in revenue in its first year.[25] In 2023, the family admitted that the vast majority of this income had come from the sale of three books Moore wrote before he died, seemingly in contradiction to a statement Hannah had made to The Times a year earlier.[26] The family kept the Club Nook income, despite the prologue of one of the books and the charity's website stating that the money would support the Captain Tom Foundation.[10][27]

Merchandise

In January 2021, World of Roses began selling a potted Captain Tom Rose, with £2.50 of every rose sold being donated to the Captain Tom Foundation.[28] The rose was pulled from sale a year later after the Charity Commission announced it had begun a statutory inquiry into the charity.[28] In April 2021, Otterbeck Distillery began selling Captain Tom Gin for £100 per bottle, with all profits being donated to the Captain Tom Foundation.[29] The gin was pulled from sale a year later after a breach of charity law.[29] Timothy Taylor's Havercake Ale was sold with 10p per pint being donated to the Captain Tom Foundation.[30] The children's book One Hundred Reasons to Hope, published by Puffin Books in June 2022,[31] pledged £1 to the Captain Tom Foundation for all hardback books sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[32]

References

  1. ^ "Captain Tom Foundation 'to close down' as daughter fights spa demolition". Sky News. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b Lewis, Katy (16 August 2023). "Captain Sir Tom Moore: What has happened to his legacy?". BBC News. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Butler, Patrick. "Trustees of Captain Sir Tom Moore foundation face formal inquiry into charity setup". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  4. ^ "The Captain Tom Foundation: Supporting our older generation". The Captain Tom Foundation. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Captain Tom's daughter fights order to demolish spa and pool complex 'built in name of hero's charity'". LBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Captain Tom Foundation closes all payment channels amidst spa probe". UK Fundraising. 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Captain Tom Foundation: What has happened and why is there an inquiry into the charity?". Sky News. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Report of the Trustees and Audited Financial Statements for the Period 5 May 2020 to 31 May 2021 for THE CAPTAIN TOM FOUNDATION (A Company Limited by Guarantee)". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Capt Tom Moore's daughter's company was paid for charity event". BBC News. 15 August 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Captain Tom's daughter says he wanted her to keep book profits – despite readers being told they were going to charity". Sky News. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Regulator announces statutory inquiry into The Captain Tom Foundation". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Captain Sir Tom Moore's daughter ordered to demolish home spa". BBC News. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Captain Tom Moore's daughter 'used charity's name to build spa and pool at £1.2m home'". Birmingham Mail. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  14. ^ "Council responds after Captain Tom Moore 'pool complex' plan revealed". The Independent. 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  15. ^ "Captain Tom's daughter ordered to tear down home spa – as foundation in his name stops taking donations". Sky News. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  16. ^ "Captain Tom Foundation 'to close down' as daughter fights spa demolition". Sky News. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  17. ^ "Club Nook Limited - Confirmation statement made on 23 April 2022 with updates". Companies House. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  18. ^ "Club Nook Limited". Intellectual Property Office. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  19. ^ "Club Nook Limited". Intellectual Property Office. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  20. ^ "Club Nook Limited". Intellectual Property Office. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  21. ^ "Club Nook Limited". Intellectual Property Office. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  22. ^ "Club Nook Limited". Intellectual Property Office. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  23. ^ "Club Nook Limited". Intellectual Property Office. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  24. ^ "Captain Tom's daughter: We were in it for the love, not the money". The Times. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  25. ^ "Club Nook Limited - Total exemption full accounts made up to 30 April 2021". Companies House. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  26. ^ "Captain Tom's daughter defends decision to keep book profits". BBC News. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  27. ^ "Captain Tom Moore announces two books". The Captain Tom Foundation. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  28. ^ a b "Captain Tom-branded rose pulled from sale after watchdog inquiry into his charity". The Independent. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  29. ^ a b "Captain Tom Moore gin pulled from sale after 'breach of charity law'". The Independent. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  30. ^ "Timothy Taylor's supports Captain Tom Foundation". Beer Today. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  31. ^ One Hundred Reasons To Hope. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2023. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  32. ^ "Captain Tom 'charity' autobiography publisher refuses to say if funds paid to his foundation from sales". The Independent. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2023.

External links