Woman Ordered to Repay Funds Embezzled from Charities

An individual who misappropriated £86,000 from a charitable organization, established in remembrance of her closest friend’s daughter, has been granted a three-month period to return the funds. Lindsay MacCallum, aged 61, perpetrated fraud against the Rainbow Valley charity across a ten-year span, having co-founded it with her erstwhile friend Angela MacVicar. Furthermore, she unlawfully took £9,505 from the Anthony Nolan Trust, which is a charity dedicated to stem cell donation. Mrs. MacVicar expressed that it was “wonderful” that the funds would be reimbursed, noting that this would contribute to shortening her charity’s waiting list of 200 individuals. MacCallum, who received a three-year prison sentence in October, has been allotted until March to fully reimburse the sum. She has previously repaid £25,000 of the funds she misappropriated from her former associate. Mrs. MacVicar had been concerned that, had a criminal confiscation order been issued, the remaining amount MacCallum was obligated to repay would have been directed to the Treasury. She stated: “They decided they would cancel the confiscation order and instead put in place a compensation order, so the money goes back to the charities.” She added, “The charity will survive and thrive now that we’re getting it back.” MacCallum had been employed as a fundraising manager for the Anthony Nolan Trust between 1995 and 2012, prior to her departure to establish Rainbow Valley alongside Mrs. MacVicar. In 2005, Mrs. MacVicar’s 27-year-old daughter, Johanna, succumbed to leukaemia, leading to the creation of the foundation in her memory. Mrs. MacVicar commented: “Johanna would have been absolutely furious, she was a fiery little thing.” She continued, “This world’s over for Johanna and she’s just a catalyst to help other people.” She concluded, “I just want to get on with helping others overcome the pain, suffering and fear of cancer.” Falkirk Sheriff Court was informed that an agreement had been reached with MacCallum’s legal representatives to suspend confiscation proceedings, thereby granting her until March to settle the outstanding balance of funds: £60,000 designated for Rainbow Valley and £9,505 for the Anthony Nolan Trust. Mrs. MacVicar stated that this resolution did not alleviate the emotional distress inflicted by her erstwhile friend. She remarked: “I’m just delighted for both charities and I’m delighted the justice system made the right decision.” She added, “However, the hurt to her family and mine will be forever. That will take a bit more to get over.” Advocate Sarah Loosemore indicated that MacCallum, who was absent from the court session, had committed to this action and merely needed three months to convert assets into cash. She affirmed: “The best place for this money is for it to go back to the charities.” Mr. Rashid conveyed that should the funds be returned by March 2025, legal proceedings initiated by the Crown under the Proceeds of Crime Act would be discontinued. Earlier court proceedings revealed that MacCallum, residing in Aberfoyle, Perthshire, had falsified signatures of charity personnel and diverted money from fundraising accounts for her personal benefit between the years 2011 and 2021. A sheriff informed her that she had “systematically and deliberately” carried out “calculating” frauds against the third sector organizations, and had “betrayed” cancer victims. The two individuals collaborated for a decade before a disagreement occurred in 2022. Mrs. MacVicar later identified irregularities within an account established for a fundraising gala. In summation, MacCallum appropriated £85,978 from Rainbow Valley. The court was informed that MacCallum had been appointed project development manager of Rainbow Valley and, in 2014, was provided with a charity credit card intended to supersede the use of a Friends of Rainbow Valley bank account. However, this account continued to be utilized, and it was not until August 2022, following a disagreement between the friends, that inquiries arose regarding transactions from this particular account. MacCallum, who previously served as a Royal Navy servicewoman, admitted guilt to two counts of fraud, amounting to a total of £95,483.