Captain Tom Moore fund faces charity probe: Basis in disaster as watchdog opens inquiry

The Captain Tom Basis faces additional investigation after the charities watchdog launched a probe into claims {that a} agency managed by the late Second World Battle veteran’s daughter trademarked his identify and reportedly made £800,000.

The Charity Fee first opened a case into the charity in March final 12 months, a month after Tom Moore died with Covid aged 100, and started reviewing the set-up of the organisation. 

This has now escalated to an inquiry after the fee stated it had turn into involved {that a} failure to have in mind mental property and trademark points when the inspiration was arrange ‘could have generated vital revenue’ for Membership Nook Ltd.

The Charity Fee’s principal focus is claimed to be on mental property and trademark points. It’s going to additionally look at the trustees’ decision-making and the charity’s governance, together with managing conflicts of curiosity. In addition to donations, the inspiration generates revenue via branded merchandise together with T-shirts and gin. 

The Occasions reported that Membership Nook Ltd made £809,000 in its first 12 months, and that after collectors have been paid, it was left with slightly below £500,000.

Captain Tom’s daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, is a former trustee of the inspiration and her husband, Colin, stays on the board. 

Sir Tom turned a nationwide hero after elevating £38million for the NHS by strolling 100 laps of his Bedfordshire backyard earlier than his one hundredth birthday on the peak of the primary nationwide Covid lockdown in April 2020. The Captain Tom Basis was registered on June 5, 2020 following his fundraising efforts.

In March this 12 months, the publication of the primary annual accounts of the inspiration confirmed the charity incurred £240,000 in prices and gave £160,000 to good causes.

The fee stated the cash raised for the NHS, which was donated to NHS Charities Collectively, is just not a part of the scope of its inquiry.

The couple established an organization, Membership Nook Ltd. The fee stated it was given the chance to trademark variations of the identify Captain Tom, which ‘could have generated vital revenue’. The fee stated it’s involved {that a} ‘failure to contemplate mental property and trademark points’ when the charity was arrange gave Membership Nook Ltd the chance to trademark variations of the identify ‘Captain Tom’ with out objection from the charity.

Mrs Ingram-Moore was allowed to behave as interim CEO on £85,000 a 12 months for as much as 9 months. A brand new CEO, Jack Gilbert – who has 20 years’ expertise within the voluntary sector – took over this month.

The inquiry, which was launched on June 16, is analysing if the trustees of The Captain Tom Basis have been chargeable for mismanagement or misconduct within the administration of the charity resulting in any losses, adequately managed conflicts of curiosity and complied with their duties and tasks underneath charity legislation.

The household stated they welcomed the Charity Fee’s announcement. They stated that Membership Nook Ltd made its software for emblems earlier than the formation of the inspiration and that Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore have been trustee administrators of the charity upon its formation.

Helen Stephenson, chief govt of the Charity Fee, stated: ‘The late Captain Sir Tom Moore impressed the nation together with his braveness, tenacity and concern for others. It is important that public belief in charity is protected, and that folks proceed to really feel assured in supporting good causes.

‘We don’t take any choice to open an inquiry calmly however on this case our issues have mounted. We contemplate it within the public curiosity to look at them via a proper investigation, which provides us entry to the complete vary of our protecting and enforcement powers.’

The fee beforehand raised issues concerning the fee of consultancy charges to 3rd events however stated it was later ‘happy’ that these particular funds have been an inexpensive reimbursement for bills incurred by the businesses within the formation of the charity.

It added that it was additionally happy that the funds have been ‘adequately recognized and managed’.

Stephen Jones, chairman of the board of trustees of the Captain Tom Basis, stated: ‘We are going to, after all, work intently with the fee in its inquiry regarding mental property administration.

‘I be aware that the trustees confirmed with the fee throughout the means of registration that the ‘picture rights and mental property rights of the identify have been held inside a non-public household belief’, and the fee have been conscious that this was all the time supposed to be the case.

‘We welcome that the Charity Fee at this time experiences that it’s ‘happy’ in relation to questions that had been raised concerning the basis’s annual report which was revealed in February, and has concluded that funds have been affordable and that conflicts of curiosity have been recognized and managed.’

Jack Gilbert, who took on the position of chief govt on June 1, added: ‘My appointment marks the beginning of an vital interval of transformation for the Captain Tom Basis.

‘With a revitalised and extra targeted mission, in coming months we can be asserting an array of charitable actions at each grassroots and nationwide ranges that change the best way we expect, really feel and act in the direction of age and ageing, fight ageism, and construct significant connections between communities and generations.

‘Working with the board, I’m utilizing the NCVO-backed Trusted Charities requirements to make sure that in all respects, together with governance and finance, the inspiration conforms to finest observe. These can be externally validated as a part of the method.’

A press release from the Ingram-Moore household stated: ‘The Ingram-Moore household has welcomed the press launch issued at this time by the Charity Fee, which has discovered no points within the accounts of the Captain Tom Basis, revealed in February 2022.

‘On behalf of our household, there are two factors we wish to make. Membership Nook Ltd made its software for varied emblems in April 2020 previous to the formation of the Captain Tom Basis (Could 5 2020).

‘Neither Hannah nor Colin Ingram-Moore have been trustee administrators of the Captain Tom Basis upon its formation.’

Talking in March, Captain Sir Tom’s daughter emotionally denied allegations that the charity arrange within the British struggle hero’s identify tried to nominate her as chief govt on a six-figure wage.

Hannah Ingram-Moore advised ITV’s This Morning that ‘we’re not hiding something’ and accused the media of ‘damaging’ her late father’s legacy.

Talking to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, Mrs Ingram-Moore denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the accounts have been ‘a snapshot in time within the first 12 months of the charity’.  Saying the accounts have been ‘independently audited’, she added: ‘We could not have made any of those numbers up.

‘However the £150,000 is totally not true. What the trustees did was ask for a benchmarking: ‘Please inform us if we have been to make use of a CEO, what can be the benchmark? What is the highest, what is the lowest?’. The very best occurred to be £150,000′.

Captain Tom’s daughter held again tears as she stated: ‘We’re not hiding something. There’s nothing mistaken, we’ve not made any false motion, and I genuinely suppose, although, that the overwhelming majority of individuals suppose that’.

Mrs Ingram-Moore admitted that the household was ‘naïve’ however ‘not unhealthy’ in organising a charity in her father’s identify.

‘I believe we have been extremely naïve, however I do not suppose we’re unhealthy. We stepped into this for love, for humanity, for permitting as many individuals as attainable entry to his legacy,’ she stated.

‘We by no means considered the darkness, by no means. It by no means crossed our minds.’ She added: ‘In the long run, my father taught us resilience and humanity. ‘In the end our ambition in his identify is a world with out ageism.

‘Each single day I see the hate, or the false headlines, or the will to discover a gap in me.’