Captain Tom charity ‘tried to appoint daughter as CEO’ on £150,000 a year

A watchdog is now investigating the Captain Tom Foundation

The charity set up in honour of Sir Captain Tom Moore is under investigation after reports that the foundation tried to appoint Hannah Ingram-Moore, Captain Tom's daughter, as its CEO on a six-figure salary. The Captain Tom Foundation is already under scrutiny after accounts revealed last week show that the foundation spent more than 10 percent of donations on consultants. According to the Independent, the charity tried to appoint Captain Tom's daughter, Hannah, as its CEO before a watchdog intervened and blocked the move. The paper reports that the charity had wanted to pay Ingram-Moore a salary in the region of £150,000, a figure that represents 13.68 percent of the charity's total first-year income. After discussions between the Charity Commission and the foundation's trustees, Ingram-Moore "took the decision that the CEO role was not something she wished to pursue” so she could focus on other commitments. For comparison, a salary of £150,000 is similar to what the top earner at the RSPCA is paid. However the RSPCA has an annual income more than 100 times that of the Captain Tom Foundation. A statement from Stephen Jones, Chair of The Board of Trustees, said: "The Foundation has engaged actively and positively with the Charity Commission since registration and any discussions are highly confidential between them and the Trustees.

"In 2021, the Foundation approached the Commission for consent (as required in law and under the Foundation's governing document) with regard to the appointment of Hannah Ingram-Moore as CEO.

[caption id="attachment_318121" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Hannah Ingram-Moore would reportedly have been on a salary worth 13 percent of the foundation's annual income (Charlotte Tattersall/Getty)[/caption]

"As part of that process for consent, the Trustees undertook a formal benchmarking exercise to assess an appropriate salary for the role.

"That report made recommendations to the Trustees as to an appropriate salary (within a range) based on a spectrum of charities operating with equivalent financial positions and charitable activity.

"This was provided to the Commission as part of the application for consent, in the interests of full disclosure, together with a proposal by the Trustees as to what the salary for the CEO role should be.

"It is the Commission's responsibility to consider and challenge any application for consent, but in any event during the Trustees discussions with the Commission, Hannah Ingram-Moore took the decision that the CEO role was not something she wished to pursue as she wanted to focus on other commitments, both personally and professionally.

"However, she committed to support the Trustees during an interim period, subject to Commission consent being obtained."

Meanwhile, in a statement confirming the investigation, the Charity Commission said: "We have been in ongoing contact with the trustees of the Captain Tom Foundation on its set-up and governance arrangements and as part of this work will now assess the charity's recently submitted accounts." It pointed out that although a case has been launched, this does not mean any wrongdoing has been found. Related links:

• Captain Tom Foundation being investigated by Charity Commission over accounts
• Man found guilty of sending 'grossly offensive' Captain Tom tweet
• Captain Tom memorial statue vandalised with IRA graffiti