The Charity Commission has disqualified Captain Tom Moore’s daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband Colin from being charity trustees.
The regulator disqualified the couple as part of its ongoing statutory inquiry into the Captain Tom Foundation.
The two can no longer be charity trustees and are barred from having senior management functions in charities.
The Commission does not tend to announce disqualifications until after the conclusion of an inquiry, but it confirmed the disqualification after the family issued a statement about the ban.
Its orders were made by the Commission for Hannah Ingram-Moore and Colin Ingram-Moore for a period of 10 and eight years respectively.
Colin Ingram-Moore served as trustee from 1 February 2021 until 25 June 2024 and Hannah Ingram-Moore was a trustee from 1 February 2021 until 15 March 2021, when she resigned.
She was the charity’s interim CEO between 1 August 2021 and 29 April 2022.
The Commission said that in this instance, the legal test for disqualification was met because there has been misconduct and/or mismanagement.
Therefore, it said the couple are not fit to be trustees or hold senior management roles, and disqualification is in the public interest.
No appeal
A statement from the family said Hannah Ingram-Moore and Colin Ingram-Moore would not appeal against the decision but they “fundamentally disagree with the conclusions reached by the Charity Commission”.
According to the family, they were given a deadline of 25 June to appeal against the decision to disqualify them.
The family’s statement said: “The disqualification has been imposed without the conclusion of the statutory inquiry into the Captain Tom Foundation.
“The Commission’s failure to conclude the inquiry prolongs our deep distress and hinders our ability to move on with our lives, extending the pain and impact on our family and our father/grandfather's legacy.”
They described the investigation as a “harrowing and debilitating ordeal”, adding: “The profound emotional upheaval and financial burden make such a course of action untenable.
“It’s widely recognised that the funds raised in April 2020 were directed entirely to NHS Charities Together.
“Public donations were managed by JustGiving and transferred directly to NHS Charities Together, without any involvement from our family in the distribution process.”
Statutory inquiry
The Charity Commission launched a statutory inquiry into the charity in June 2022 to investigate serious concerns about its governance and financial controls.
The Captain Tom Foundation was registered as a charity on 5 June 2020. It is registered as a grantmaking charity for the advancement of public health and wellbeing.
Almost £40m was raised by the late Captain Tom Moore and donated to a separate charity, NHS Charities Together, prior to the formation of the Captain Tom Foundation.
The regulator said it cannot disclose further information about the findings of the inquiry while it is ongoing.
New CEO David Holdsworth said: “As a fair, independent and evidence-led regulator we only disqualify someone from serving as a trustee or a senior manager in a charity when the evidence gathered means it is proportionate and lawful to do so.
“The evidence in this investigation meant that the level of misconduct and/or mismanagement was serious enough to warrant this action.
“People generously support good causes with the clear expectation that trustees will act in the best interests of their charities.
“As an independent regulator, it’s vital that we uphold and protect this trust, including by taking robust regulatory action where appropriate, based on firm evidence.”
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