Charity fraudster may be ordered to repay £70,000

A woman who misappropriated funds from a cancer charity, established in remembrance of her close friend’s daughter, faces a potential order to reimburse £70,000. Lindsay MacCallum, aged 61, perpetrated fraud against the Rainbow Valley charity for a period spanning ten years, having co-founded it with her former associate Angela MacVicar. Additionally, she embezzled £9,505 from the Anthony Nolan Trust, which is a charity dedicated to stem cell donation. MacCallum received a three-year prison sentence in October, following her guilty plea to two counts of fraud. During a hearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court, it was stated that the Crown might pursue a confiscation order to retrieve the illicitly obtained funds, in accordance with the Proceeds of Crime Act. Advocate Deirdre Flanagan confirmed that it had been established that the 61-year-old had taken a total of £95,483.48 from the charitable organizations. The individual, a former Royal Navy servicewoman, has already reimbursed £25,000 to the Rainbow Valley charity. The court was informed that MacCallum appropriated the money despite not experiencing financial hardship and possessing £175,000 in personal assets. Sheriff Craig Harris adjourned the proceedings until 11 December, aiming to guarantee that, should the order be approved, the funds are restored to the charities. He further remarked that it represents a “very complex legal scenario.” Funds recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act are typically directed to the treasury or central bank. Earlier, a trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court revealed that MacCallum served as a fundraising manager for the Anthony Nolan Trust from 1995 to 2012, prior to her departure to establish Rainbow Valley alongside Mrs MacVicar. In 2005, Mrs MacVicar’s 27-year-old daughter, Johanna, passed away due to leukaemia, and the foundation was subsequently created in her memory. The two individuals collaborated for a decade until a disagreement in 2022, which resulted in the uncovering of irregularities in an account designated for a fundraising ball. Ms MacVicar previously informed BBC Scotland News that she felt “hurt and betrayed” by the conduct of her former friend. She further stated that it has “tarnished” her daughter Johanna’s legacy, yet the charity has persisted in thriving. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material found on external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.