Captain Sir Tom Moore’s Legacy: A Family’s Regret
The daughter of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore has expressed that the establishment of a charity in his name has significantly disrupted their lives. Hannah Ingram-Moore shared her feelings with the BBC, stating that she harbors a profound sense of regret regarding the creation of the Captain Tom Foundation. Her father, a remarkable Second World War veteran, garnered an astounding £38.9 million for NHS charities by walking up and down his driveway during the initial Covid-19 lockdown. Tragically, the 100-year-old veteran passed away from coronavirus on February 2, 2021.
Following the death of Captain Sir Tom, Ms. Ingram-Moore and her husband, Colin, took on the roles of trustees for the Captain Tom Foundation. However, a two-year investigation conducted by the Charity Commission revealed that the couple had “misled” the public by personally benefiting from the charity. The inquiry found that they failed to donate any of the £1.47 million received from three books about Captain Sir Tom, despite prior assurances that a portion of the proceeds would be allocated to the charity.
The Charity Commission raised concerns about an £18,000 appearance fee for an awards ceremony, partnerships with Virgin Media, and criticized the couple for not consulting other trustees regarding a spa complex constructed at their residence. The regulator concluded that this mismanagement was not an isolated incident but rather a consistent pattern of behavior.
In a subsequent interview with the BBC after the inquiry, Ms. Ingram-Moore commented, “It didn’t need to be set up as a charity; we could have continued that legacy without it, because what it’s done is all but completely derailed our lives.” She added, “It was set up with my father’s name and that is our deepest regret.”
As a former business consultant, Ms. Ingram-Moore has plans to author three books focusing on themes of grief, loneliness, and resilience. During a discussion on BBC Three Counties Radio with Justin Dealey, she disputed the findings of the report but acknowledged that challenging it would require excessive time and resources. “We gracefully bowed out and said we’ll have to accept what they say, even though we know it not to be true and get on with our lives,” she remarked.
She maintained that there was “nothing dishonest” about the events that unfolded, asserting that her father wished for the family to “benefit” from the charity. “He wanted to ensure that we lived well, that we had future income, because he could see that Covid had been quite devastating to our business,” she explained. The book publisher Penguin and promoter Carver PR confirmed that the family had provided assurances that part of the book deal advance would be utilized to establish and fund the foundation. According to Ms. Ingram-Moore, the family received £800,000 from the book deal after fees, most of which was allocated to legal expenses.
She mentioned that some funds were directed to charitable purposes but declined to specify the amount. “I’m sorry they feel misled; I genuinely am, but there was never any intent to mislead,” she stated. “If there was any misleading, it wasn’t our doing.”
In June 2022, the Charity Commission announced the initiation of an inquiry into the foundation due to concerns that the family may have profited from the use of Captain Sir Tom’s name. As a result of the investigation, Mr. and Ms. Ingram-Moore were removed as trustees of the charity and prohibited from holding roles in any other charities for eight and ten years, respectively.
Following the Charity Commission’s report in November concerning the foundation, the remaining trustee expressed a plea to the Ingram-Moores, urging them to rectify the situation by returning the funds owed so that they could be donated to charities deserving of support, as intended by the late Captain Sir Tom Moore.
