FAMILY of the Keighley-born fundraiser Captain Sir Tom Moore have hit back at a damning Charity Commission report.
In the 30-page document – published after a two-year inquiry into the family's association with a charity set up in Sir Tom's name – the commission said there had been repeated instances of misconduct by the veteran’s daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, and her husband Colin.
Sir Tom became a household name during the pandemic, raising millions of pounds for NHS charities by walking laps of his garden in lockdown.
But separately, a £1.4 million book deal and an £18,000 awards ceremony appearance fee were among the financial benefits Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore enjoyed through their family links to the Captain Tom Foundation, says the charities watchdog.
The Charity Commission found a “repeated pattern of behaviour” which saw the pair make private gains and which the watchdog said will have left the public feeling “misled”.
Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore were asked by the commission on two occasions in 2022 to “rectify matters by making a donation to the charity”, but declined both times.
The Ingram-Moores have already been banned from being charity trustees.
But the family has responded to the report, claiming they have been treated “unfairly and unjustly”.
The Ingram-Moores said the inquiry had taken a “serious toll” on the family’s health, “unfairly tarnishing” their name.
They described the process as “unjust and excessive”, adding that the charities watchdog had a “predetermined agenda”.
In a statement, the family said: “True accountability demands transparency, not selective storytelling.
“We remain dedicated to upholding Captain Sir Tom’s legacy and want the public to know that there has never been any misappropriation of funds or unauthorised payments from the charity’s bank account, by any member of our family.”
The Ingram-Moore family also said it “never took a penny” from public donations when Sir Tom raised millions for NHS charities, and added that it was “deeply painful” for them to think people might believe otherwise.
The millions raised by the late Sir Tom and donated to NHS Charities Together before the foundation was formed were not part of the commission’s inquiry.
The report found a misleading implication that donations from book sales would be made to the Captain Tom Foundation.
The family says “significant fees” from the book deal were paid to the literary agent, and legal and PR professionals, with portions of the money supporting the foundation.
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