The Captain Tom Foundation was registered on 5 June 2020, following the fundraising efforts of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore at the outbreak of the COVID pandemic. It is registered as a grant-making charity, for the advancement of public health and wellbeing.

The Commission opened a case into the charity in March 2021. It has now escalated its engagement due to newly identified concerns about arrangements between the charity and a company linked to the Ingram-Moore family, as well as ongoing concerns about the trustees’ decision making and the charity’s governance.

The Commission is concerned that a failure to consider intellectual property and trade mark issues when the charity was established provided Club Nook Limited, a private company controlled by Hannah Ingram-Moore and Colin Ingram-Moore, the opportunity to trade mark variations of the name ‘Captain Tom’ without objection from the charity. This may have generated significant profit for the company.

The inquiry, which opened on 16 June, will examine whether the trustees have:

1. been responsible for mismanagement and/or misconduct in the administration of the charity and whether, as a result, the charity has suffered any financial losses, including through any unauthorised private benefit to any of the current or previous trustees;
2. adequately managed conflicts of interest, including with private companies connected to the Ingram-Moore family;
3. complied with and fulfilled their duties and responsibilities under charity law.

The Commission may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional issues emerge.

Helen Stephenson, CEO of the Charity Commission, said:

The late Captain Sir Tom Moore inspired the nation with his courage, tenacity and concern for others. It is vital that public trust in charity is protected, and that people continue to feel confident in supporting good causes.

We do not take any decision to open an inquiry lightly, but in this case our concerns have mounted. We consider it in the public interest to examine them through a formal investigation, which gives us access to the full range of our protective and enforcement powers.

Previous Engagement

Prior to the inquiry opening, the Commission engaged with the charity on the following issues:

• In March 2021 the charity requested the regulator’s permission to employ Hannah Ingram-Moore, a former trustee, on a salary of £60,000 per year, for 3 days a week. The Commission requested evidence of the benchmarking exercise undertaken.
• The charity provided the Commission with this evidence and a revised proposal to appoint Hannah Ingram-Moore on a salary of £100,000 on a full-time basis.
• In July 2021 the regulator refused permission to employ Hannah Ingram-Moore as chief executive on a salary of £100,000, considering the proposed salary neither reasonable nor justifiable.
• In August 2021 the Commission permitted the charity to appoint Hannah Ingram-Moore as interim CEO on a salary of £85,000 per year, on a 3-month rolling contract, for a maximum of 9 months whilst the trustees conducted an open recruitment process. This period has now ended and the charity has recruited a new CEO.

The Commission’s case had identified potential concerns about payments of consultancy fees and payments to related third parties revealed in the charity’s accounts, published in February 2022. However, based on the information and evidence provided by the trustees, the Commission was satisfied that these specific payments are reasonable reimbursement for expenses incurred by the companies in the formation of the charity. It is also satisfied that any conflicts of interest in relation to these third-party payments were adequately identified and managed

The £38million raised by the late Captain Sir Tom Moore, and donated to a separate charity, NHS Charities Together, prior to the formation of The Captain Tom Foundation is not part of the scope of this inquiry.

It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its purpose is to ensure charity can thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society.
2. The Commission has no regulatory concerns about NHS Charities Together.
3. Hannah Ingram-Moore was a trustee from 1st February 2021 until 15th March 2021, when she resigned as a trustee. Colin Ingram-Moore became a trustee on 1st February 2021 and remains a trustee.
4. The Commission has not made any conclusions and the opening of the inquiry is not a finding of wrongdoing.

Speaking at the Devon County Show, Environment Secretary, George Eustice, will announce further funding for research projects that will help boost farmers’ businesses and help improve the environmental impact of farming.

The recent Food Strategy committed to spend £270 million on research and development in the Farming Innovation Programme up to 2029. This Programme is designed to bring together farmers, growers, businesses and researchers for collaborative, industry-led research and development that will drive up the productivity, profitability and resilience of England’s farming sectors, whilst helping to improve the environment.

The Environment Secretary will confirm that in July, £12.5m from the Farming Innovation Programme will be set aside for research and development focused on ‘sustainable farm-based proteins’, in partnership with UKRI this funding will be made available for farmers, growers, businesses and academics to collaborate on projects that seek to improve the efficiency and sustainability of farm-based protein production, including protein crops like beans and peas and traditional livestock production, in order to help boost domestic production of healthy and sustainable food.

This might be achieved through the development of new methane reducing feeds and supplements, or the breeding of new sustainable and resilient crops and livestock.

The Environment Secretary will also showcase an example of innovative technology that is helping farmers capture the methane from slurry stores and turn it into biomethane, creating an additional income stream for farmers. Bennamann in Truro, Cornwall has pioneered this innovative approach building on world-leading science to help livestock farms of any size to cover their manure slurry lagoons, capture the fugitive emissions they produce, establish energy independence and improve business profitability through lower bills and sales of high value biomethane.

Environment Secretary, George Eustice, said:

Improving farm profitability and tackling environmental challenges requires us to allow the natural cycle of life to operate fully. Rather than seeing farm wastes like slurry as a problem and a cost, we need to start recognising that they are actually a resource that could be monetised to boost farm incomes.

Cornwall has a long history of pioneering new technology and it is at the forefront of new approaches that could revolutionise the way we manage farm yard manure to create a new income stream for farmers and generate a green fuel that significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Bennamann is working with the Local Authority and six of its farms to turn waste methane into biomethane. The biogas results from the anaerobic digestion of manure stored in the slurry lagoon on each farm, which can then be processed into a sustainable, commercially viable product as compressed gas or liquid fuel. That fuel will be able to power lorries and tractors, heat households and businesses, provide hot water and even charge electric vehicles. The Council plans to run its road maintenance vehicle fleet on this greener source of fuel. There is even a New Holland methane tractor in production, with Bennamann able to supply the tractor’s fuel on farm at a fixed period discounted price from the waste on farm.

For a 150 head dairy farm, the system creates biomethane worth approximately £30,000 in additional income for the dairy farm and it removes about half of the methane generated by the herd, making a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

• Over 500,000 jobseekers have been supported to find work through their jobcentre as government meets its target, helping to grow the economy
• Benefit claimants moved into work at a record rate in April 2022 as part of the “Way to Work” drive
• Hundreds of employers across the UK benefit, saving money on recruitment costs and filling vacancies fast

Launched in January, ministers set the target of supporting 500,000 jobseekers through the jobcentre and into employment by the end of June. This coincided with the need to fill a record number of job vacancies as the economy rebounded after the pandemic.

Unemployment now stands at an almost 50 year low with 627,000 more people in payroll employment compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The nation’s attitudes have been transformed, with many jobseekers taking on roles in new sectors and employers recruiting through jobcentres for the first time. To keep up momentum, the department will continue to bring jobseekers face to face with employers, helping more people find work and earn a wage.

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said:

In less than six months we’ve helped half a million people – who have so far been struggling to find employment – into work. This is a massive success, especially in the context of some of the global economic pressures we’ve been facing.

Helping people find the security of a stable income, through a job they can take pride in, is one of the best ways for people to support their families during these challenging times.

That’s why we’re stepping up targeted support measures to ensure everyone can find a job that’s right for them, develop their skills and climb up the career ladder.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Thérèse Coffey said:

When people needed jobs and the economy needed workers, we stepped up our efforts to connect jobseekers with employers and have delivered on our target to get 500,000 more people into work in less than six months.

Our ABC approach to help people get Any job first, a Better job next and into a Career is off to a flying start. With people in jobs, we can move to the next stage – helping them progress in-work and boost their earnings.

Minister for Employment, Mims Davies MP said:

After this huge success, we’re determined to get everyone, at any age or career stage, the support they need to get back into work.

We’re stepping up our targeted support for older workers, those living with health conditions and for people who have been out of work for more than 12 months, ensuring everyone can find a job that’s right for them, earn a wage and have the opportunity to progress.

As part of “Way to Work”, rules for job-ready claimants were changed, requiring them to broaden their job search after one month to include sectors new to them.

The Department for Work and Pensions also worked with employers to short-circuit their recruitment practices, getting hiring managers and jobseekers in front of each other in jobcentres across the UK, leading to an ‘on the spot’ hiring approach, getting people earning quicker, and reducing hiring costs for employers.

Following the success of the jobs drive, ministers have renewed a focus on supporting in-work progression for workers across the country through the national network of jobcentres.

Having picked up the roles that the economy needed, people are now being supported by their jobcentre to progress, helping them to earn more money, get more hours, and use their experience as a springboard for their career.

In addition, the Department for Work and Pensions is focused on supporting the long-term unemployed, older workers and those with health conditions to find work, helping the UK maximise employment and supporting economic growth.

Midlife MOT’s will help older workers take stock of their skills and finances, and take advantage of those years in work over 50, which we know can often be the most interesting and lucrative.

In addition, ministers have committed to spending £1.3 billion to support people with disability and health challenges into work, building on the expansion of Disability Employment Advisers.

And because returning to work can be more difficult after an extended period of unemployment, the government’s Restart Scheme will give jobseekers a year of intensive support to help get them back on the job ladder, and is already supporting a quarter of a million back into work.

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The UK is launching a new drive to demolish bureaucratic barriers to international trade, opening up markets worth tens of billions for businesses across the UK, the International Trade Secretary will say today (Thursday 30 June).

Anne-Marie Trevelyan has drawn up a hit list of around 100 priority issues around the world currently blocking British trade, which are being targeted for resolution by teams of specialists in her department.

These range from restrictions on UK-qualified lawyers from operating in Japan, to rules that delay British medical devices from entering South Africa, to restrictions on meat exports to countries in Asia.

The work will allow our world-leading products and services to reach hundreds of millions of new customers globally, benefitting all regions of the UK, Secretary Trevelyan will tell the British Chambers of Commerce’s annual conference.

International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

Every week we remove trade barriers somewhere around the world, helping more and more businesses all over the country.

We know that businesses who export pay higher wages and are more productive than businesses who do not, but too often, complex trade rules and practical obstacles prevent them selling overseas.

This bonfire of the barriers will grow our economy by allowing our brilliant businesses to satisfy the enormous global appetite for their goods and services.

Unlocking new markets and global customers means more opportunities for UK firms to grow their businesses and support local jobs. That is why we are working hard on getting rid of barriers, including:

• Opening the Chinese market for UK lamb for the first time, unlocking markets worth £1.5bn which would help businesses such as Pilgrims Lamb UK.
• South Korea removing restrictions on UK beef for the first time, opening up markets worth £2.5bn – this is expected to be resolved within the next five years and could benefit businesses such as Northern Ireland based Foyle Food Group.
• Removing delays in registering new medicines and medical devices in South Africa helping to increase the UK’s exports as well as improving healthcare availability and quality.

The UK gained greater freedom to remove trade barriers, along with the ability to negotiate its own Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), when it left the European Union. FTAs are securing new and substantial opportunities for UK businesses, and the work goes hand in hand with tackling trade barriers facing our firms today.

The department has supported the resolution of around 400 barriers, across more than 70 countries, in the last two years.

These included:

• Working with Chinese authorities to remove animal testing requirements for many beauty products in China, opening up a market worth £500m and helping brands such as Unilever’s cruelty-free REN brand to import into China for the first time.
• Overcoming bureaucratic issues to allow the export of pet supplements to India worth £1.4m to Lancashire-based VetPlus over five years.
• A simplified process for certifying UK cosmetics to Indonesia.
• Unblocking difficult processes in Mongolia which prevented the export of UK poultry and fish, opening up a market worth £10m, helping Moy Park, a poultry exporter, to supply chicken to KFC Mongolia.

DIT has local offices in every region of the UK, and so when a business hits a barrier to trade, we can step in to help them.

Dr Carl Westmoreland, from Unilever’s Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, said:

Unilever has been partnering with the Chinese authorities, government laboratories and leading academics since 2011 to build non-animal safety science capability. The regulatory change in China was a significant step forward for cruelty-free cosmetics in the country, and we commend the Department for International Trade for its role in driving forward this important opportunity for cruelty-free brands.

Anthony Sewart, VetPlus Regional Manager, Eastern Europe, the Middle East & Africa, said:

Being able to meet the different compliance requirements across the markets we operate in is extremely important to ensure the availability of our products for vets and pet owners.

Recently, we ran into a challenge in exporting our products to India and the support from the DIT was fantastic. They were able to put us in touch with the right people to help us liaise with the Indian authorities and facilitate the appropriate documentation to enable us to re-start the export of our products to India.

Background

• The Digital Market Access Service (DMAS) is the internal government database of trade barriers facing UK businesses that enables closer collaboration across government in Whitehall and at overseas Posts to analyse and progress action to try and resolve them where feasible.
• DMAS is not a comprehensive repository of all market access issues facing UK exporters, and reporting rates vary widely across countries and regions. As such, aggregate figures should be interpreted as an indicative estimate based on a selective sample.
• Full publication of the “hit list” of barriers is not possible due to commercial sensitivities, and the likelihood that publicising specific UK asks will impede our negotiations with host Governments. These barriers have been identified as offering significant economic value to UK businesses and strong alignment with the UK’s broader strategic priorities, such as Levelling Up the United Kingdom and tackling climate change at home and abroad.
• Barriers have been identified from each of DIT’s nine HM Trade Commissioner-led regions around the world, with a particular focus (around half) in the Indo-Pacific region, in line with the Government’s Integrated Review. All major economic sectors are represented, with a particular emphasis on tackling barriers in the Agri, Food and Drink; Financial & Professional Services; and Healthcare & Lifesciences sectors.
• Figures on the number of barriers resolved have been published in the Official Statistics series: Market Access barrier statistics. The latest outturns are due to be published at 09:30 on 30/06.
• Figures on the value of UK exports and the value of partner country imports are based on existing published UK and International Statistic series drawn from ONS and UN Comtrade datasets using the latest available data. Further details on methodology for these are available in the DIT statistical publication.
• Opening up markets to sell £4bn worth of beef in South Korea and lamb in China is not the total size of the import market but is based on South Korea and China’s import of £4bn of lamb and beef combined from the world.
• Aggregate figures on the value of export opportunities represented by a selection of barriers are based on DIT analysis of specific market access barriers using the methodologies set out in the DIT statistical publication (link to Nov 21). To calculate the aggregate figures, the mid-point for each valuation range is added to provide a central estimate. Further details on the methodology for the aggregate valuation figures are published in a DIT analytical working paper.
• This report contains analysis illustrating the potential value of export opportunities associated with the removal of a selection of market access barriers. This analysis draws upon the methodological approaches developed in DIT to produce indicative estimates of the value associated with a barrier to inform decision making[ such as which barriers should be prioritised for government action. These methodological approaches were set out in more detail in the publication: Market Access barrier statistics: Financial year 2020 to 2021.