Captain Sir Tom Moore's charity under formal investigation

The foundation set up in the name of Captain Sir Tom Moore by his daughter is under investigation by the Charity Commission over a possible “significant profit” generated for her company.

The statutory inquiry is examining a deal done by Sir Tom’s daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband Colin through their own company to register trademarks relating to “Captain Tom”.

Sir Tom captured the public’s imagination when he began a fundraising effort by walking 100 laps of his garden in time for his 100th birthday at the height of the first lockdown in 2020. His endeavours raised a staggering £38.9 million for the NHS. The charity commission said the huge sums raised for the NHS Charities Together appeal did not form part of its inquiry.

The watchdog is investigating The Captain Tom Foundation, set up in May 2020 by Sir Tom and his family to promote causes “close to his heart”. Sir Tom died of Covid-19, which he contracted in hospital, in February 2021.

The Charity Commission is concerned about arrangements between the charity and a company owned by Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore. The company Club Nook Ltd, set up in April 2020, registered trademark variations of his name. Products such as Captain Tom’s gin went on sale prior to his death with profits going to the foundation.

In March 2022, the publication of the first annual accounts of the foundation showed the charity incurred £240,000 costs and gave £160,000 to good causes.

The commission said it is concerned that a “failure to consider intellectual property and trademark issues” when the charity was set up gave Club Nook Ltd, “the opportunity to trademark variations of the name “Captain Tom” without objection from the charity”. “This may have generated significant profit for the company,” it added.

The inquiry is analysing if the trustees of foundation have been responsible for mismanagement or misconduct in the administration of the charity.

The commission had raised concerns about the payment of consultancy fees to third parties but was later “satisfied” that these were a reasonable reimbursement for expenses incurred by the companies in the formation of the charity. It was also satisfied that the payments were “adequately identified and managed”.

Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore “welcomed the press release issued today by the Charity Commission, which has found no issues in the accounts of The Captain Tom Foundation, published in February 2022.”