Evening Standard View: Misuse of Captain Tom foundation must not detract from Britain's culture of giving
For all the horrors and hardships of the Covid-19 pandemic, there were heroes too. Those who saved lives on the frontline of the NHS, or continued to go to work and perform their critical jobs while the rest of us stayed at home. Then there was Captain Sir Tom Moore, who used the time to raise millions for charity by walking laps of his garden.
We have known for some time that this story of bravery and good nature had a darker side. Today, an excoriating report by the charities watchdog finds that Sir Tom’s family made more than £1 million through their association with the charity set up in his name. The Charity Commission concluded there had been repeated instances of misconduct by the veteran’s daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband, Colin. The Ingram-Moore family said they were treated “unfairly and unjustly” in a report into their association with the charity.
The commission’s report found a “repeated pattern of behaviour” which saw the couple make private gains and which the watchdog said will have left the public feeling “misled”. For instance, and extraordinarily, Sir Tom’s £1.4m book deal and £18,000 awards ceremony appearance fee were among the benefits Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore enjoyed through their links to the Captain Tom Foundation.
The couple must now urgently rectify the situation, by returning any money due to the Foundation. This would enable charities to receive the vital funds that Sir Tom had wanted them to have. It is also a necessary first step to restoring confidence to the wider sector. Millions of us generously give their money to a wide variety of charities, not always knowing exactly where it will go. Indeed, Britons donated a record £13.9 billion to charity last year, according to a report by the Charities Aid Foundation.
Such instances of misallocation are rare, and must not be allowed to undermine this culture of giving.
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