Royal British Legion’s future relationship with Captain Tom Charity ‘under discussion’

Exclusive: The country’s biggest military charity says ‘the nature of our future relationship has been under discussion’ since late last year

The future relationship of 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 been given £40,000 by the Captain Tom Foundation and sells merchandise in the late veteran’s name, said it was not currently expecting any donation from the charity.

The foundation is at the centre of a regulatory compliance opened by the Charity Commission, with revelations last month about its finances prompting scrutiny of its activities.

It comes after accounts published last month showed that the Captain Tom Foundation had paid tens of thousands of pounds to firms run by the late veteran’s daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, and son-in-law, Colin. The accounts described the transactions as reimbursements.

The Independent also reported how it had been told part of the watchdog’s compliance case related to a request from the foundation to appoint Ms Ingram-Moore as CEO on a six-figure salary.

It is understood that the Charity Commission blocked the appointment last summer. The foundation’s chair of the board of trustees said Ms Ingram-Moore “took the decision that the CEO role was not something she wished to pursue”, although she was appointed on an interim basis.

Meanwhile, a fundraising event billed “Captain Tom Day”, set to be held in June, has been postponed in the wake of disclosures about the foundation’s finances. Last week, The Independent also reported how it had learned that the NHS charities group for which Captain Sir Tom Moore raised nearly £39m flagged concerns to watchdogs over 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 as a result of a change in strategy by the Captain Tom Foundation.

In a statement, RBL said: “The Royal British Legion was confirmed as one of the beneficiary charities of the Captain Tom Foundation in August 2020. Since then, the 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, which enable us to continue our work supporting members of the Armed Forces community in the greatest need. The RBL is not currently expecting any donation from the Captain Tom Foundation. We are aware that the Foundation has changed its strategy and, as a result of this, 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 being conducted by the Charity Commission.”

RBL was not aware of the Charity Commission’s compliance case, which was opened in March 2021 but made public only last month, before it was reported in the media, a spokesperson said.

RBL sells Captain Sir Tom silver and gold-plated poppy pins via its website for £29.99 each with 100 per cent of profits said to be donated to RBL. Its website says the poppy pins have been “designed and approved by The Captain Tom Foundation and Captain Sir Tom Moore’s family”. RBL told The Independent “no fee or donation is paid to the Captain Tom Foundation or to his family” in relation to their sale.

Last week, Ms Ingram-Moore made an appearance on ITV’s This Morning. She made denials about the charity’s finances, as well as saying: “I think we’ve been incredibly naive, but I don’t think that that means we’re bad. I think that we’re wholesome, good people, and we run businesses, we understand.

Hannah Ingram-Moore on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ (ITV/This Morning)

“But I think we stepped into this for love, for humanity, for… allowing as many people as possible access to his legacy. We never thought of the darkness… never crossed our minds.”

The Captain Tom Foundation was established in May 2020 after the former army officer – who died in February last year – raised nearly £39m, including gift aid, for NHS Charities Together by walking laps of his garden.

Accounts published last month for the foundation covering its first year up to 31 May 2021 show that £162,336 was spent on management costs – more than was given out in donations. The foundation gave £40,000 each to the RBL, Mind, Helen & Douglas House – which provides hospice care for babies and children – and Willen Hospice, an adult care hospice.

Mind’s CEO Paul Farmer said the charity was facing a “changing financial situation during the height of the pandemic”, adding: “It was thanks to the generous support of donors like the Captain Tom Foundation that Mind has been able to continue our vital work and respond to the high increase in demand for our services.”

He added: “We monitor all decisions made by the Charity Commission, and we review all offers of funding under our acceptance of donations policy and ethical appraisal process on a case-by-case basis, considering the latest information available. While Mind’s charity partnership with the Captain Tom Foundation ended in November 2021 and we have not been invited to apply for further grants, we hope that the legacy of Captain Sir Tom Moore continues to inspire many more thousands of people across our country, for years to come.”

Willen Hospice CEO Peta Wilkinson said the charity had been grateful for the funding, adding: “We no longer meet the revised criteria for the Foundation and, hence, will no longer be eligible for funding going forward.”

Hazel Bedford, income generation director at Helen & Douglas House, said the charity’s partnership with the Captain Tom Foundation ran from July 2020 to December 2021. Asked whether the hospice charity will accept future donations from the foundation, she added: “We would make a decision at that time, but we don’t believe we will receive any further donations anyway, given they have redirected their mission and have confirmed the end of our partnership.”

The Captain Tom Foundation declined to comment. The Charity Commission confirmed its compliance case is ongoing.  “Our engagement with the trustees of the Captain Tom Foundation on its set-up and governance arrangements continues,” a Charity Commission spokesperson said last month.