Did the captain Tom foundation charity really use the money to build their own spa pool??

[Terryer]

Just reading the paper this morning and see the family of Captain Tom have been ordered to pull down a building in their garden with a spa pool. I think it's a planning issue but the inference is that they used the money raised to build it. Did they really?

Fascinating, my DH said the same thing when I wanted to donate and stopped myself after he said what you've said here. It's mad. I believe his intentions were good but it's so easy to be corrupt with such a tempting amount of money.

I feel very sad that his name is being dragged through the mud - and by the actions of his own daughter. I am very glad that the CC is now involved.

On a side note, my cousin works for a locally started charity that is now very nationally well known. I'm absolutely horrified at the perks that the office staff get behind closed doors... and would never donate to the never ending fundraisers she shares on SM. Most of the time it appears to be raising money for teambuilding jollies for the staff in 5* hotels ..... I hope that one day, someday blows a very loud whistle at this charity.

I do agree. Especially given lots of people were doing nice things at that time

All the press reports I've seen so far are implying serious misconduct by the daughter. Terrible if true. The old boy doesn't deserve to have his memory besmirched in this way by a (allegedly) grifty, grabby offspring.

I often wonder how people fall for obvious scams and then I read posts like this.

Mmm as if

Surely it’s sarcasm?

You’d hope so but I doubt it

@Lastusernamecantthinkofanotherone

I don't think it is but only @user1492757084 can answer that.

100% agree. The ease with which the general public buys into so many nonsensical but popular causes that ‘capture the mood of the nation’ is actually frightening. There’s a very weird Orwellian / group think vibe in this country.

Sorry for sounding thick but why can't the NHS receive charity money for equipment etc?

From this thread I see it can only be used for non medical items such as waiting rooms and staff rooms?

I’m assuming because that would then absolve the government of funding it (which it should be)

i felt incredibly uncomfortable and uneasy from the start, it smacked of exploiting a vulnerable old man in poor health. The longer it went on the more sickening it became.
Apparently the trustees were unaware of this building yet the son in law is one of them I believe.
It smacks of misuse of funds and it’s been a dodgy, self-aggrandising process from the beginning.

After which he died of Covid - it was all part of that madness sadly.

Yes, a feelgood story on once and then maybe a fortnight later but every morning was coollective hypnotising of the nation.

Yes, exactly.

Strange times.

I do agree. Especially given lots of people were doing nice things at that time

Yes. Very few got anywhere near the coverage or follow-ups.

Unless they were Prince Andrew packing cupcakes for NHS workers in an attempt to rehab his image 🙄😡

To be fair, on the salary issue, I know someone who set up a charity (which has become very successful at fundraising) and pays themselves over £100k to run it. As said, it’s a successful -and worthwhile- charity, but when those that set them up benefit to such an obscene level it gets a bit murky.

I donated and so did DH. Hopefully someone benefitted.

It's interesting how so many thought he was simply old and vulnerable. I think he was quite aware.

It is like the Diana funeral. The BBC kept telling us ‘the nation’ was grieving and how upset ‘the nation’ was. I didn’t know anyone who cared beyond thinking it was shame a mother of young children died.

The BBC put out daily updates on Captain Tom because apparently he was uplifting ‘the nation’. Again, no one I knew cared.

Who is this ‘nation’ that the BBC seem to think wanted Jimmy Saville on our screens, the don’t reflect anyone I know.

The media create and manipulate these stories and it is depressing that some people seem to lap them up. So betide anyone put their head above the parapet at the height of Captain Tom hysteria. The sensible people kept their heads down and mouth shut - but there was plenty of us thinking it was overhyped hooey.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Yeah always thought she was a wrong un. Self promoting. Looking back we were all trapped indoors watching what was fed to us, Captain Tom, banging sauce pans etc. Think we were doolally buying into it.
Friend of a friend got the furlough payment early at the start of pandemic. She put in new double glazing and went on holiday the first time we were "let out". Said she'd never been as well off.

Same.

Precisely.
Mass adoration/hysteria/accolades all round and god help anyone who dared say anything remotely against them.

Yes-mass adoration but it’s easy to bang a few pots and pans. Not so easy to fix the problems. Like I say, a local hospital is called after him which is the height of insanity. Who on earth will know what it is in 50 years? Especially as it’s called CSTM.

I'd be very surprised if they had stolen donated cash but they will have had the right to charge all sorts of fees/commissions etc and they quickly add up. It was obvious at the time that they were ALL grifters - including Tom. He had been on Blankety Blank in his younger days and comes across as an over confident man on the make! The whole thing was absurd and made me cringe - at the time!