The future relationship between Britain’s largest military charity and the foundation set up in the name of Captain Sir Tom Moore is “under discussion”, The Independent can reveal.
The Royal British Legion (RBL), which has received £40,000 from the Captain Tom Foundation and is selling merchandise on behalf of the late veteran, said it is not currently expecting any donations from the charity.
The foundation is at the center of a regulatory compliance initiation launched by the charities watchdog last March, with revelations last month about its finances prompting scrutiny of its activities.
It comes after accounts released last month showed the Captain Tom Foundation had donated tens of thousands of pounds to businesses run by the late veteran’s daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, and son-in-law, Colin. The accounts described the transactions as refunds.
The Independent also reported how he had been informed that part of the watchdog’s compliance case involved a request by the foundation to appoint Ms Ingram-Moore as CEO with a six-figure salary.
It is understood the Charity Commission blocked the nomination last summer. The foundation’s board chair says Ms Ingram-Moore ‘made the decision that the role of CEO was not something she wanted to pursue’, despite being appointed on an interim basis .
Meanwhile, a fundraising event called ‘Captain Tom Day’, which was due to be held in June, has been postponed following revelations about the foundation’s finances. Last week, The Independent also reported how he learned that the NHS charity group for which Captain Sir Tom Moore raised nearly £39million had raised concerns with watchdogs over the use of data by the foundation set up in his name .
The RBL said the nature of the organisations’ future relationship has been under discussion since late last year following a change in strategy by the Captain Tom Foundation.
In a statement, RBL said: “The Royal British Legion was confirmed as one of the Captain Tom Foundation’s recipient charities in August 2020. Since then, RBL has received three donations from the Captain Tom Foundation; £10,000 in November 2020, £10,000 in January 2021 and £20,000 in May 2021.
“As a charity, the RBL is always grateful for donations that enable us to continue our work in supporting members of the Armed Forces community in greatest need. The RBL is not currently expecting any donations from the Captain Tom Foundation. We are aware that the Foundation has changed its strategy and therefore the nature of our future relationship has been under discussion between the two parties since late 2021. The RBL cannot comment on an ongoing investigation by the Charity Commission. .”
RBL was unaware of the Charity Commission compliance case – which was opened in March 2021 but only made public last month – before it was reported in the media, a doorman said. -word.
RBL is selling silver and gold plated poppy pins to Captain Sir Tom via its website for £29.99 each, with 100% of the proceeds going to RBL. Its website states that the poppy pins were “designed and endorsed by the Captain Tom Foundation and the family of Captain Sir Tom Moore”. RBL said The Independent “No fees or donations are made to the Captain Tom Foundation or his family” in connection with their sale.
Last week Ms Ingram-Moore made an appearance on ITV’s This Morning. She denied the charity’s finances and said: ‘I think we’ve been incredibly naive, but I don’t think that means we’re bad. I think we’re healthy, good people, and running businesses, we get it.
Hannah Ingram-Moore: “I think we’ve been incredibly naive, but I don’t think that means we’re bad. I think we’re healthy, good people, and we run businesses, we get it.
(ITV/This Morning)
“But I think we stepped into this out of love, for humanity, to … allow as many people as possible to access his legacy. We never thought of darkness…never crossed our minds.
The Captain Tom Foundation was set up in May 2020 after the former army officer – who died in February last year – raised almost £39million, including gifts, for NHS Charities Together in walking around the laps of his garden.
Accounts published last month for the foundation covering its first year to May 31, 2021 show £162,336 was spent on management fees – more than was paid out in donations. The foundation has given £40,000 each to RBL, Mind, Helen & Douglas House – which provides palliative care for babies and children – and Willen Hospice, a hospice for adults.
Mind CEO Paul Farmer said the charity was facing a “changing financial situation at the height of the pandemic”, adding: “It is thanks to the generous support of donors like the Captain Tom Foundation that Mind has been able to continue our vital work and meet the surge in demand for our services.
He added: ‘We monitor all decisions made by the Charity Commission and review all offers of funding under our donation acceptance policy and ethics review process on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the latest information available. Although Mind’s charitable partnership with the Captain Tom Foundation ended in November 2021 and we have not been invited to apply for further grants, we hope Captain Sir Tom Moore’s legacy will continue to inspire thousands of people across our country, for years. come.”
Peta Wilkinson, CEO of Willen Hospice, said the charity was grateful for the funding, adding: “We no longer meet the Foundation’s revised criteria and therefore will not be eligible for funding in the future. .”
Hazel Bedford, director of revenue generation at Helen & Douglas House, said the charity’s partnership with the Captain Tom Foundation ran from July 2020 to December 2021. When asked if the The hospice charity would accept future donations from the foundation, she added: “We would make a decision at that time, but we don’t expect to receive any further donations anyway given that they have redirected their mission and confirmed the end of our partnership.
The Captain Tom Foundation declined to comment. The Charity Commission has confirmed that its compliance case is pending. “Our dialogue with the Trustees of the Captain Tom Foundation on its set-up and governance arrangements continues,” a Charity Commission spokesperson said last month.
