Owner of life-size Captain Tom statue open to offers after failing to sell it for £29,000

16 February 2024, 12:47

The owner of a life-size bronze statue of Captain Sir Tom Moore has begun accepting offers after failing to sell it for the initial asking price of £29,000.

The Walk of Hope, a 5ft 3in sculpture, was promoted with a crowdfunding and publicity campaign when it was finished in October 2020. The co-designer behind the statute wanted it to be displayed in Captain Tom's native Yorkshire.

Leeds-based artistic creator Tony Clark commissioned artists in Indonesia to make the life-sized statue of the record-breaking fundraiser.

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But the statue is yet to find a public home.

Its eBay listing had an asking price of £29,000 but an alert from the auction website announced the owner was allowing offers below that value to be made.

Mr Clark has previously said in an update on a GoFundMe page that he had a "heavy heart" after being unable to engage Captain Tom's family and Bradford Council in locating a place for the statue.

Writing in September 2022, he said: "My wishes are now to draw a conclusion to this and hopefully have a positive outcome. I am left with a bronze statue that needs a permanent site, that is owned by a private business or person.

"This site ideally will be somewhere that the public can access to view, preferably in Yorkshire, better still in Keighley where he was from.

"But I am open to ideas, please contact me if anyone has any suggestions.

"I just want to close this chapter in my life but equally see this piece go somewhere suitable."

The GoFundMe page gives a target of £60,000 to cover the statue's costs, with 10% being donated to The Veterans Charity.

On eBay, the seller describes the likeness as the original piece commissioned in 2020 to commemorate Captain Tom’s "amazing achievements".

The vendor says that "the foundation and family have nothing to do with this piece and will not endorse it either".

Read More: Captain Tom's charity boss quits months after bid to oust family

Captain Tom became a national hero during the first Covid lockdown after raising £38.9million by walking laps of his garden.

After he died, his family continued his fundraising work through the foundation.

The charity is currently under a Charity Commission investigation over possible conflicts of interest, mismanagement and whether the trustees fulfilled their legal duties and responsibilities.  

Captain Tom’s daughter is also involved in a saga due to the planning application drama surrounding a spa pool block at their home.

The family lost an appeal against an order from Central Bedfordshire Council to remove the Captain Tom Foundation Building, and it was demolished earlier this month.