Gransnet forums

News & politics

Captain Sir Tom Moore's charity under formal investigation.

(103 Posts)
Urmstongran Thu 30-Jun-22 11:33:59

From the Telegraph today:

“The foundation set up in the name of Captain Sir Tom Moore by his daughter is under investigation by the Charity Commission over a possible “significant profit” generated for her company.

The statutory inquiry is examining a deal done by Sir Tom’s daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband Colin through their own company to register trademarks relating to “Captain Tom”

I think it’s a real shame if someone is found to have been coining it in on the back of the original charity. Where big money arises it's sometimes seen as an opportunity by someone.

orly Sun 03-Jul-22 11:59:44

orly

Serendipity22

Flippin heck !!!! I have read all the posts and I have to say that in all truthfulness, i just admired the man soooo very much and saw it that the great British public did what we are renowned for, came together, united, in times of sheer and utter need. I viewed captain Tom's daughter as having strength and very supportive to her dad, that's it, I didn't think anything untoward because we obviously don't know the in's and out's, we only know what the press tell us.

I still cant quite get it that someone, well, I say someone, in this case, Captain Tom's daughter, would do something to blight her dads tremendous achievements!!!!!

I agree entirely, Serendipity22. Looking at some of the mean-hearted posts on here it's clear that people just want to be offended and look for reasons that haven't bee n substantiated.

and I meant to add that if Sir Tom's daughter hadn't Trademarked his name then someone else would have and would have been selling cheap, Chinese rubbish, like mugs and t-shirts in his name, with nothing going to the charity.
Wait for the outcome of the investigation before jumping to conclusions

Galaxy Sun 03-Jul-22 12:03:50

It's not offense it's the regulations applied to any charity.

Daisend1 Sun 03-Jul-22 12:19:06

Not for one moment are we to hear the last of this.

Niucla97 Sun 03-Jul-22 12:27:42

I heard the same thing that these allegations have nothing to do with his actual fund that money was safe

lemsip Sun 03-Jul-22 12:31:26

......The commission said the money raised for the NHS, which was donated to NHS Charities Together, is not part of the scope of its inquiry.

Nannashirlz Sun 03-Jul-22 12:41:56

I didn’t donate because you could see how his daughter was pushing it. Like blm see in American there all living in millionaires houses makes a laughing stock of the genuine charities. I only give them in store anyway at least then I know it’s going to right places but now with prices being hiked charity begins at home

GreenGran78 Sun 03-Jul-22 12:50:04

Sir Tom started walking around the drive because his doctor had suggested that he take a little more exercise.
His daughter then had the idea of it becoming a sponsored walk, as an incentive to him to keep moving.
I think that it was also her who went to the tv people, and they then began to get reporters from all over the world asking for interviews. That's when the money really started rolling in. I know that his daughter was overcome with all the work and PR involved, according to his book.
It certainly seems that she and her husband have tried to cash in by getting appointed to the board. Maybe her intentions were good. I hope so.

PamQS Sun 03-Jul-22 12:51:45

I think Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband are in PR, so planning ahead to keep the charity afloat is probably second nature. I’ve found the attempts to build up what I could call a cult of Captain Tom since his death a bit distasteful. (Eg there was talk of having a ‘Captain Tom Day’, and did ‘Clap for Captain Tom’ ever happen?).

The Charity Commission do loads of investigations to check that charities are being run properly. They used to have a section on their website describing the investigations and their findings, which I found really interesting in terms of what people thought they could get away with!

MissAdventure Sun 03-Jul-22 12:54:37

I'm sure I'll get boos and hisses for this, but I never thought an old bloke walking elevated him to almost superhero status.

GoldenAge Sun 03-Jul-22 12:55:24

The regulations regarding charities are indeed complicated and it may be that the daughter fell foul of these, but what she didn't fall foul of was her understanding that she could capitalise upon her father's 'achievement' by trademarking his name. Nobody who is naive about business gets into trademarking - this demands thought and the daughter was perfectly aware, in my mind at least, how she could personally profit from her action. Not sure if anybody has asked this question but in the early days of Captain Tom's walking initiative, who was it who alerted the media to what he was doing and invited cameras and journalists into his garden? Was it him or was it his daughter with an eye to the potential for publicity?
As for carrier bags full of notes, that's being investigated as it should be and we shouldn't use that to exonerate anybody else.

bevisp1 Sun 03-Jul-22 13:00:47

If it is true, then people become greedy

bevisp1 Sun 03-Jul-22 13:01:48

I agree! Any half mobile pensioner could do the same as him. It’s just called exercise.

winterwhite Sun 03-Jul-22 13:02:37

I thought undue fuss was made at the time, it was a good thing to do but not so very remarkable and it was hard to see how the image caught on so much. Sounds as tho his daughter and family got carried away and that the charity should have been more closely regulated from the start.

MissAdventure Sun 03-Jul-22 13:04:26

Well, an investigation doesn't mean there has been any wrong doing. Hopefully it is all above board, but the rules and regulations must be followed.
It's to protect those who donated.

Willow68 Sun 03-Jul-22 13:23:10

His daughter was on tv not that long ago, saying about what it’s all about. Something along the lines of… the way a transaction was handled is being investigated and no money was taken or missing as such, just it was not done following the correct procedure. It’s very sad it’s splashed all over the news, if money is missing yes of course, however from what I understand it’s not it’s the way the transaction was made that is being investigated…

Geordiegirl1 Sun 03-Jul-22 13:26:05

Well, I must still have some faith in human nature. The Captain Tom phenomena was based around a very old man who had been desperately ill, moving many people to donate to the NHS. The context also was important - the times were totally demoralising if not terrifying. Captain Tom seemed to me to be a decent man who had served his country in Burma and had a very sad first marriage, wherein he had behaved with honour. I didn’t see much of his family but what I did see, indicated a loving and supportive one. The allegations don’t involve theft or fraud regarding the money donations. Why not just wait and see.

Greciangirl Sun 03-Jul-22 14:15:35

Thank you Lemsip.

People always have to jump to conclusions and think the worst.
I’m sure his daughter is not guilty of anything underhand.

Silvertwigs Sun 03-Jul-22 14:15:52

@ paddyann54 me too? The fact she was always there, always stuck to his side like glue, made warning bells to me.

lemsip Sun 03-Jul-22 14:47:09

well of course she was always there for goodness sake. he couldn't have coped without her could he!

lizzypopbottle Sun 03-Jul-22 14:49:11

The fundraising I did for the CaptainTom100 challenge was managed by Virgin Giving although the Captain Tom Foundation did benefit from some of the money I raised. A huge number of ordinary people either carried out their 100 pledge or sponsored their friend or colleague. I hope there was no siphoning going on. Luckily, the money given to me in cash went directly to my second chosen charity and didn't go through Virgin Giving or the Captain Tom Foundation.

Kinsi10 Sun 03-Jul-22 15:01:30

As others have said, best to wait and see.

nipsmum Sun 03-Jul-22 15:10:46

I will only donate to longstanding charities and never to one's set up by individuals that I've never heard off .

coastalgran Sun 03-Jul-22 15:31:01

I think it all hinges on intellectual property law which can be a tricky area. Perhaps his daughter and her husband were totally unaware of this and did it all with the best of intentions and very little advice from those better informed. On the other hand perhaps all the adulation and celebrity circus surrounding Sir Tom has gone to their heads and they haven't handled it very well.

Ailidh Sun 03-Jul-22 15:56:04

Geordiegirl1

Well, I must still have some faith in human nature. The Captain Tom phenomena was based around a very old man who had been desperately ill, moving many people to donate to the NHS. The context also was important - the times were totally demoralising if not terrifying. Captain Tom seemed to me to be a decent man who had served his country in Burma and had a very sad first marriage, wherein he had behaved with honour. I didn’t see much of his family but what I did see, indicated a loving and supportive one. The allegations don’t involve theft or fraud regarding the money donations. Why not just wait and see.

I completely agree.

While anyone Could have done it, and others undoubtedly did, the very ordinariness of Capt. Tom just fitted the spirit of the moment: as you say, it was all totally terrifying and beyond any mere mortal to sort out but here was one mere mortal who was doing what he could, and the giving snowballed.

I suspect registering his name post mortem as a charitable entity was a step too far.

Roseflower5 Sun 03-Jul-22 15:57:50

Where money is concerned, people become very GREEDY, even CLOSE RELATIVES.