A director of the Captain Tom Foundation has come to the attention of listeners after two of his companies racked up losses of more than £5million, it has been revealed.
Colin Ingram-Moore, the husband of Hannah, daughter of Captain Sir Tom Moore, is also a director of Stone Pit Restoration Ltd and Stonepit Ltd.
In their 2020 accounts, auditors Spencer Gardner Dickins said there was “material uncertainty” and “significant doubt” that Stone Pit Restoration could continue without going bankrupt.
The revelations come after the Charity Commission this week announced it was investigating the Captain Tom Foundation after accounts showed it paid £54,000 to family-owned businesses.
The charity also reportedly tried to appoint Hannah as CEO with a salary of around £150,000 before the move was blocked by the Charity Commission.
The fundraiser named after Captain Sir Tom Moore (above), who raised £39.3m for the NHS during the pandemic, was set up to celebrate the older generation and help with organizations that support them in June
Colin Ingram-Moore (left), husband of Captain Sir Tom Moore’s daughter Hannah (second right), is one of three trustees of the foundation
Ingram-Moore, 64, has been a director of 51 companies, including Stone Pit Restoration, which filled in chalk pits before selling them to developers.
Accounts seen by The Times show the company recorded losses of £5.3million in the year to September 2020.
The previous year the company had received a loan of £12m for ‘infrastructure works’, but all but £200,000 had been used by September 2020.
Auditors raised red flags about finances and issued a similar warning about holding company Stonepit Ltd, which invested £18million in shares in Stone Pit Restoration.
Pratik Dattani, director of the charity Charity Clarity, urged Ingram-Moore to step down from the Captain Tom Foundation.
He said: “Directors need to be qualified, understand their governance responsibilities and ensure they are accountable to donors, especially when large sums of money are involved.”
A source close to both companies said the accounts were normal, while Ingram-Moore, one of three Captain Tom Foundation trustees, declined to comment to The Times.
It follows that the Captain Tom Foundation tried to pay Hannah Ingram-Moore, above, a salary of around £150,000 before a watchdog intervened
Amid revelations about the foundation, Captain Tom Day has been postponed as the watchdog probes his accounts after he allegedly tried to appoint his daughter as chief executive on a six-figure salary.
The fundraiser named after Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised £39.3m for the NHS during the pandemic, was set up to celebrate the older generation and contribute to organizations that support them by June.
But Dame Esther Rantzen, one of the organizers of the event, said the war hero’s daughter was putting the day on hold due to requests from the Charity Commission.
It follows that the Captain Tom Foundation tried to pay Hannah Ingram-Moore a salary of around £150,000 before the watchdog intervened.
On whether she would want to be linked to the charity if the watchdog ran into trouble, Dame Esther also said: ‘I absolutely have to protect my own reputation,’ The Independent reported.
A description of the event on the charity’s website reads: ‘It will be a day for those who have given us so much, a day to inspire and empower those who have often felt rejected.
“It will be a day to remind us all of the positive impact achieved by working together across generations, promoting a sense of pride and purpose for many who have felt they have been left behind.
“You will be encouraged to raise funds, share stories and events, and recognize projects and organizations that support our aging population. We will also be offering an innovation award as part of the event.
The latest comments come after the family of late-war veteran, the Ingram-Moores, won planning permission in 2021 for a new home on the grounds of their current home, The Sun reported.
It will include a kitchen, toilets and an outdoor patio and will measure 15x6m.
The family of Captain Sir Tom Moore (pictured on the day the war veteran was knighted) are set to build an extension to their home with a toilet, kitchen and patio which will be ‘mainly’ used for charitable purposes
Planning documents claimed that it “would be used partly for private purposes, but primarily in connection with the Captain Tom Foundation.”
The Matrix Group, which already has offices on the property, made the planning request.
The new home “is entirely funded by family money,” Hannah Ingram-Moore said.
It is understood that the proposal to put Ms Ingram-Moore in the role of CEO was made by directors, while the reported salary was around 10% of the charity’s total income for the first year from May 2020 to April 2021.
The charity said that during the directors’ discussions with the regulator, Ms Ingram-Moore ‘made the decision that the CEO role was not something she wanted to pursue’ as she wanted to focus on d other commitments.
The Charity Commission said its ‘engagement’ with the charity’s trustees was ongoing.
Captain Sir Tom Moore, then 99, first came to national attention at the height of the Covid pandemic in April 2020 when he launched a fundraiser for his 100th birthday.
Supported by a zimmer-frame, the World War II veteran challenged himself to walk 100 lengths of his garden at his home in Bedfordshire.
At the time, he planned to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together and aimed to complete the challenge on his 100th birthday.
But her story captured the hearts of the nation and her donations eventually topped £32million.
The incredible fundraising effort propelled Sir Captain Tom to superstardom. He received a special BBC Sports Personality of the Year award and reached number one in the UK with a cover of You’ll Never Walk Alone – making him the oldest person to record a number one in the UK.
The rewards didn’t stop there. He was made an honorary colonel and was later knighted by the Queen at Windsor Castle.
But he will end up falling victim to the Covid pandemic which had triggered his walking challenge. He was admitted to hospital with pneumonia in January last year and, after testing positive for Covid, died in Bedford Hospital on February 2, 2021.
Through the charity, her family say they hope to continue her legacy.
