The Captain Tom Foundation, also known as The 1189808 Foundation, is a charitable organisation that was established in the United Kingdom in June 2020. It was created to recognise and raise funds for charities that support elderly people in the UK, and it was originally named after Captain Sir Tom Moore, the British Army veteran whose 2020 fundraising walk raised more than £30 million for NHS Charities Together.
Founding and Registration
- Date of formation: 5 June 2020.
- Registered charity number: 1189808 (registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales).
- Initial purpose: to promote and financially support organisations that assist the elderly population in the United Kingdom.
Governance
- The trustees appointed in February 2021 included Hannah Ingram‑Moore (Moore’s daughter) and her husband Colin Ingram‑Moore.
- Hannah Ingram‑Moore served as interim chief executive officer on a temporary contract; proposals to appoint her to a full‑time, higher‑salary position were rejected by the Charity Commission as “neither reasonable nor justifiable”.
Financial Overview (first year)
- Management and fundraising costs: £240,000.
- Charitable grants disbursed: £160,000.
- Payments to companies linked to the Ingram‑Moore family (e.g., Maytrix Group Limited and Club Nook Limited) covered website, photography, office rental, consultancy, and other expenses, totalling over £50,000.
Controversies and Investigations
- The charity faced criticism for the proportion of its expenditures on overhead relative to grant‑making.
- In 2021‑2022, the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the foundation’s financial relationships with members of the Ingram‑Moore family.
- A notable dispute involved an unauthorised spa building constructed at the Ingram‑Moores’ Grade II‑listed home in Marston Moreteyne, Bedfordshire, which was promoted as the “Captain Tom Foundation Building” but later revised for private use. The Ingram‑Moores were ordered to demolish the structure in July 2023.
- In July 2023 the foundation announced it would cease accepting donations pending the outcome of the Charity Commission inquiry.
- By October 2023, the Ingram‑Moore family’s barrister indicated that the charity was “unlikely to exist” much longer.
- In July 2024 the Charity Commission disqualified the Ingram‑Moores from acting as charity trustees or holding senior management positions in charities.
Renaming
- In January 2025 the organisation was formally renamed The 1189808 Foundation, reflecting its registered charity number.
Legacy
The Captain Tom Foundation was created to continue the philanthropic legacy of Captain Tom Moore’s COVID‑19 fundraising efforts. While its stated mission centred on supporting elderly‑focused charities, the foundation’s operations became the subject of regulatory scrutiny and public debate over governance, financial transparency, and the use of charitable assets.