Captain Tom's daughter faces questions over £1.5m book payment after none of the money went to charity
21 November 2024, 00:02
Captain Tom's daughter and her husband are facing questions over a £1.5 million payment made for a series of books written by the NHS hero - after none of the money went to charity.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Captain Tom authored a series of three books, capitalising on his fame after he raised tens of millions of pounds for the NHS.
A company belonging to his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moores and her husband Colin was paid £1.5 million in advance for the books.
This payment was reduced to £1,466,667 after a planned fourth book was axed.
The Charity Commission's report found that the company had given none of the money to the foundation - despite a widespread expectation that this would be the case.
The inquiry found that the public "would understandably feel misled" that the money had not gone to the charity.
Captain Tom himself suggested that the money would go to the charity in his autobiography, one of the books in question.
He wrote in the prologue: "Astonishingly at my age, with the offer to write this memoir I have also been given the chance to raise even more money for the charitable foundation now established in my name."
The report said it "appears that Captain Tom himself believed or intended that (his book) Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day would in some way financially support the charity".
The report's authors said: "The inquiry cannot see how the first sentence in the above quote from Captain Tom can be interpreted as anything other than funds provided to Captain Tom for writing his memoir would flow to the charity to continue his charitable work."
Literary agent Bev James, who represented Captain Tom, told the inquiry that her "understanding" was that the Ingram-Moores "were very clear that they did not want the money from the books to go to charity, but they would make a donation when the Captain Tom Foundation was set up".
Publishers Penguin Random House also said that they believed that a donation from the books would go to the charity.
The Ingram-Moores were even given another chance to make a donation to the charity during the inquiry - but said no.
They continued: "The inquiry formally wrote to Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore on 4 October 2022 and 23 November 2022 setting out the information it had gathered, to provide them with an opportunity to rectify matters by making a donation to the charity in line with their original intentions as understood by those involved.
"On both occasions they declined to do so."
The Charity Commission "concluded that the public had a reasonable expectation that the Captain Tom books they purchased, in particular Captain Tom's autobiography Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day, would have financially benefited the charity and the public would understandably feel misled given no donation has been made to the charity."
"The Ingram-Moores' failure to honour the donation to the charity following the first publishing agreement, and the misconduct and/or mismanagement as evidenced in this report, has seriously damaged the reputation of the charity," it continued.
A spokesperson for the Captain Tom Foundation said: "The Captain Tom Foundation is pleased with the Charity Commission's unequivocal findings regarding the Ingram-Moores' misconduct.
"We join the Charity Commission in imploring the Ingram-Moores to rectify matters by returning the funds due to the Foundation, so that they can be donated to well-deserving charities as intended by the late Captain Sir Tom Moore.
"We hope they do so immediately and without the need for further action."
The Ingram-Moores have been approached for comment.
Penguin said in a statement: “We respect and have complied with the process of the Charity Commission inquiry.
"In 2020 we entered into a publishing agreement in good faith and, as the report notes, this was on the understanding that a donation would be made to help facilitate the creation and launch of a new charity.
"We are extremely disappointed to read the findings of the report which indicate that this was not the case.
"However, Captain Sir Tom Moore offered hope to many during a time of unprecedented uncertainty, and we remain proud to have had the opportunity to help him tell the story of his inspirational and remarkable life.”
Other failings found in the 30-page report include:
- She claimed incorrectly that £18,000 she was given for charity appearances was in a personal capacity, rather than for the foundation
- She and her husband used the foundation in a planning application for a spa and pool annex on the grounds of their house
- Ms Ingram-Moore made 'disingenuous' statements about her salary demands as CEO of the charity
- There was also confusion over handling of intellectual property rights, which the commission said were owned by the family but offered to the foundation to use without the right agreements in place, leading to possible financial losses to the charity
