The Charity Commission began investigating the Captain Tom’s Foundation after identifying concerns about the management of charities and the independence of the late veteran family.
Watchdog filed a lawsuit against a charity in March 2021, a month after Sir Tom’s death, and began a review of the organization’s establishment.
After the Commission was concerned about the charity and the arrangements between Sir Tom’s daughter Hannah Ingram Moore and her husband Colin-related company, and the trustee’s decision-making and charity. , This is currently escalating to inquiries. Governance.
Sir Tom walked 100 laps in the yard before his 100th birthday, raising £ 38 million for the NHS during the heyday of the first national Covid-19 blockade in April 2020. I became a famous person.
The Commission said the money raised for the NHS donated to the NHS Charity Together was not part of the scope of the investigation.
The Captain Tom’s Foundation was registered on June 5, 2020, after his fundraising activities.
In March 2022, the publication of the Foundation’s first annual report showed that the charity had paid £ 240,000 and had donated £ 160,000 for good reason.
The Commission’s “not considering intellectual property and trademark issues” when the charity was established gave a private company called ClubNook Limited the opportunity to trademark a variation named “Captain Tom’s Military”. He said he was worried that he might have been. Charity.
The Commission added that this could have generated “significant profits” for Ingram Moore and the company managed by Ingram Moore.
In an investigation launched on 16 June, Captain Tom’s Foundation councilors were liable for mismanagement or misconduct in the operation of charities, causing losses, properly managing conflicts of interest, and taking responsibility and responsibilities. We are analyzing whether we have complied with it. .. Under charity.
Helen Stephenson, Chief Executive Officer of the Charity Commission, said: It is important to maintain public confidence in charities and remain confident that people will support their legitimate purposes.
“We do not make the decision to open inquiries lightly, but in this case our concerns have increased. We believe it is in the public interest to investigate them through formal investigations. This will give us access to the full range of our protection and enforcement power. “
The Commission has previously expressed concern about the payment of consultant fees to third parties, but was later “satisfied” that these particular payments were a reasonable reimbursement of the costs incurred by the company in establishing a charity. He said he did.
He added that he was happy that payments were “properly identified and managed.”
Stephen Jones, Chairman of the Captain Tom’s Foundation Board of Directors, said:
We welcome the Charity Commission to conclude that payments are reasonable and conflicts of interest have been identified and controlled.
“The trustee confirms to the Commission during the registration process that” the image and intellectual property rights of the name are held in a private family trust, “and the Commission intends that this is always the case. Note that I was aware that I was. ..
“The Charity Commission today reported that it was’satisfied’ with the questions raised regarding the Foundation’s annual report issued in February, payments were reasonable, conflicts of interest were identified and managed. We welcome you to conclude that you are. .. .. “
Jack Gilbert, who took on the role of Chief Executive Officer on June 1, added:
“With a rejuvenated and more focused mission, within the next few months, we will change the way we think, feel and behave about age and aging, both at the grassroots and national levels, and fight age discrimination. Community and generation.
“We are working with the Board of Directors to ensure that the Foundation adheres to best practices in all respects, including governance and finance, using NCVO-backed Trusted Charities standards. It is externally validated as part of. “
A statement from the Ingrammoor family said: “The Ingram-Moores welcomed the press release issued today by the Charity Commission, which discovered that the Captain Tom’s Foundation account issued in February 2022 was okay.
“On behalf of our family, we have two things to say. Club Nook Ltd has various trademarks in April 2020 prior to the establishment of the Captain Tom’s Foundation (May 5, 2020). I applied for.
“Neither Hannah nor Colin Ingram-Moore was a board member of the Captain Tom’s Foundation at the time of its inception.”