Investigation Reveals Misuse of Funds by Family of British Pandemic Charity Veteran

An investigation has revealed that the family of renowned pandemic fundraising veteran, Tom Moore, misused a portion of the charity funds for personal gain. The funds in question were obtained from a £1.4 million book deal.

The Charity Commission’s Inquiry

The Charity Commission’s inquiry into the matter revealed that Tom Moore’s daughter-in-law and son-in-law personally benefited from the Captain Tom Foundation. However, it was clarified that the £38.9m raised by Moore for NHS Charities Together, which was the result of his own efforts, was not part of the commission’s inquiry. The entire amount was confirmed to have gone to NHS charities.

David Holdsworth, the Charity Commission’s chief executive, expressed disappointment over the governance failures observed in the charity founded in Moore’s name. He highlighted the critical expectation of making a clear distinction between personal interests and those of the charity and its beneficiaries. According to Holdsworth, there were numerous instances of mixing private and charitable interests, leading to significant benefits for Hannah and Colin Ingram-Moore.

The Book Deal Controversy

The investigation revealed that Club Nook, a private firm set up by the Ingram-Moores, received a £1.47m advance for three books authored by Captain Sir Tom, including his best-selling autobiography, ‘Tomorrow will be a Good Day’. The family had assured Penguin publishers and promoter Carver PR that the advanced funds would be used to set up the foundation. However, the charity has not received any funds from the publishing deal up to date.

Engagements with Virgin Media and Unauthorised Construction

Between 2020 and 2021, Captain Sir Tom was a juror for the Virgin Media Local Legends Awards and was personally paid £10,000. The following year, his daughter, who was the chief executive of the Captain Tom Foundation, was paid £18,000 for signing an ambassador agreement with Virgin Media O2. The commission found this to be a conflict of interest.

In 2021, the Ingram-Moores received council approval to build a Captain Tom’s Foundation building next to their home. However, the resulting building, which contained a spa pool and home cinema, was described as “completely unauthorised” and was eventually demolished.

Disqualification and Response

In July, Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore were disqualified as trustees or from holding a senior position in charities for eight and 10 years respectively. Responding to the Commission’s report, the Ingram-Moores family claimed they had been treated “unfairly and unjustly”. They described the two-year investigation as “excessive” and accused the charity watchdog of having a “predetermined agenda”.