Captain Tom Moore’s daughter accused of using charity name to build spa and pool complex

The daughter of war veteran Captain Tom Moore has been accused of using her father’s charity name for a spa and pool complex at her home.

Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband, Colin Ingram-Moore, informed local planners in their application that they wanted to build an office for The Captain Tom Foundation. However, the result was a plan for a 50ft by 20ft pool house complete with changing rooms, toilets and showers, The Sun reports.

In August 2021, following Captain Sir Tom Moore’s death in February, the Ingram-Moores noted that the space was “urgently required.” The annex, located in the garden of their home, was approved but a later application for the completion of the spa complex was refused in 2022.

Central Bedfordshire Council said a retrospective planning application had been refused and an enforcement notice issued for demolition.

“We can confirm that a planning application was received in August 2021 for the ‘Erection of detached single storey building for use by the occupiers of the Old Rectory and Captain Tom Foundation’. This was approved”, a Central Bedfordshire Council spokesperson told The Independent.

“In February 2022 we subsequently received a retrospective planning application for a ‘Part retrospective erection of detached single storey building (revised proposals)’. This was refused.

“An enforcement notice requiring the demolition of the now unauthorised building was issued and this is now subject to an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.”

The application was completed using the couple’s names, but allegedly namechecked the foundation as part of the design and access and heritage statement.

“At no time were The Captain Tom Foundation’s independent trustees aware of planning permissions made by Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore purporting to be in the foundation’s name”, the charity’s trustees told The Sun.

“Had they been aware of any applications, the independent trustees would not have authorised them.”

Meanwhile, the foundation has confirmed it is not taking any more funding whilst it “cooperates fully” with the Charity Commission’s enquiry.

“At this moment in time, the sole focus of The Captain Tom Foundation is to ensure that it cooperates fully with the ongoing Statutory Inquiry by the Charity Commission”, a spokesperson for the charity told The Mirror.

“As a result, The Captain Tom Foundation is not presently actively seeking any funding from donors.

“Accordingly, we have also taken the decision to close all payment channels whilst the Statutory Inquiry remains open.

“Once the findings of the Statutory Inquiry have been communicated, The Captain Tom Foundation will be in a better position to make a decision in relation to its future, but for now, our main priority is to assist the Charity Commission with its enquiry.

“In the meantime, on behalf of the trustees of The Captain Tom Foundation, we wish to extend a warm thank you to all our supporters who have enabled us to help charities that were close to Captain Sir Tom’s heart.”

Captain Sir Tom Moore raised nearly £39 million for NHS Charities Together by walking laps of his garden during the pandemic. A separate organisation from The Captain Tom Foundation, the £38.9m raised by Captain Tom for NHS Charities Together is not being investigated.

In February 2022, The Independent revealed that the foundation attempted to appoint Ms Ingram-Moore as CEO on a six-figure salary. The Charity Commission later blocked this move, which would have seen Ms Ingram-Moore paid in the region of £150,000 – 13.68 per cent of the charity’s total income in its first year.

Approached by The Independent for comment at the time, Stephen Jones, the foundation’s chair of the board of trustees, “categorically” denied that the salary discussed was six figures.

“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”, Mr Jones’ statement read.

“On that basis, the commission were supportive of and provided the trustees with formal consent for Hannah Ingram-Moore to be appointed as interim CEO from August 2021 for a defined nine-month period. The trustees revisited their salary considerations as part of the discussions with the commission, before making a decision on what that salary should be. That salary will of course be disclosed as required in the accounts for the relevant period but is categorically not six figures.”