The daughter and son-in-law of Captain Sir Tom Moore have been banned from being charity trustees by the Charity Commission, the family said in a statement.
Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband Colin have been disqualified by the Charity Commission from being one of the key volunteers who lead charities and decide how they are run, the family said in a statement.
The couple founded the Captain Tom Foundation in June 2020 in honour of Sir Tom – after he shot to fame by doing sponsored laps of his garden during the COVID pandemic.
The organisation was investigated by the Charity Commission.
In a statement, the Ingram-Moore family said they “fundamentally” disagreed with the Charity Commission’s decision to disqualify them.
The commission opened a case into the foundation shortly after his death in 2021 and launched an inquiry in June 2022.
It came about due to concerns about how the foundation was managed and its independence from Sir Tom’s family.
The family’s statement said: “We have been served an order of disqualification as trustees by the Charity Commission, it was stated that if we did not appeal this order, by the 25th June 2024 deadline, we would appear on the register of removed persons. 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 / grandfathers’ legacy. It has been a harrowing and debilitating ordeal that has gone on for over two years.
“We are increasingly concerned that the Charity Commission’s process may have evolved into a relentless pursuit, and question whether it is a tactic by the Commission to make our lives more difficult, by suspending us in constant fear and mental anguish.
“The orders of disqualification do not state that Hannah Ingram-Moore or Colin Ingram-Moore have misappropriated or received unauthorised payments from the charity’s funds, including public donations. We have never accessed or made any payments from the charity’s bank account.
“Independent Trustees have maintained full control over the charity’s finances since inception.
“We fundamentally disagree with the conclusions reached by the Charity Commission.
“Despite our vehement objections to the Disqualification Order, we have made the extremely difficult decision not to pursue an appeal. The profound emotional upheaval and financial burden make such a course of action untenable.
“It is 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.
“We have fully co-operated with the Charity Commission at all times.”
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Source Agencies
