Mum's devastation after former best friend stole £85k from charity set up in daughter's memory
A Lochgilphead woman who set up a charity in honour of her daughter has spoken of the devastation created by her former best friend who stole £85,000 meant to help people with cancer.
Angela MacVicar, 64, has spoken out after “wealthy” Lindsay MacCallum, 61, pleaded guilty in court to stealing from the Rainbow Valley foundation.
Angela’s daughter Johanna was diagnosed with leukaemia at 16 and sadly lost her battle with the illness aged 27 in 2005.
The Rainbow Valley charity was her dream as she believed that diet, exercise and complementary therapies all influenced her health and she wanted others to be able to access those.
Over the years the people of Lochgilphead and Argyll have raised thousands of pounds for the cause, which offers residential courses and information on how to manage the impact of cancer and improve long term health, as well as funds and awareness for the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust.
As the shocking news made the national media, Angela had a special message for the people of Argyll.
She said: “I would like to say to the people of Argyll, this did not affect any fundraising done in Lochgilphead as the funds were deposited into the charity account and not the account set up fraudulently by Ms MacCallum.
“As a family we are so grateful for the love and support poured into Johanna’s campaign.
“To have her name tarnished in this manner breaks our hearts but we will continue to build her legacy and help those affected by cancer.”
But Angela is now preparing to ask the sheriff at Falkirk Sheriff Court, when MacCallum appears for sentencing on October 8, to order her to pay the money back to the charity.
MacCallum stood up in front of hundreds of mourners in a packed Paisley Abbey and read the eulogy at Johanna’s funeral.
While the family had moved to Bishopton, they still have an extended close family and circle of friends in Lochgilphead.
MacCallum, of Aberfoyle, admitted to defrauding the charity of £85,978 and a further £9,905 from the Anthony Nolan Trust at Falkirk Sheriff Court.
She was remanded in custody on Tuesday August 13 as Angela and other members of the charity sat in shock after hearing the details of MacCallum’s deceit.
In May 2013, Lochgilphead held the first Rainbow Valley Weekend, organised by Margaret MacLean, Angela MacVicar and Yvie Young. Yvie was a huge supporter of Rainbow Valley and other charities but sadly lost her battle with breast cancer earlier this year.
With the family beginning to pick up the pieces after a stressful time, Angela said: “We are getting there. It’s just a tragedy all round. I don’t think for one minute her family are involved.
“They are hurting and it is awful. She has ruined so many lives. If she wants to go ahead and ruin her own, that’s fine, but she’s from Aberfoyle, it’s a village, they all live there. It’s horrific.”
MacCallum’s crimes came to light after she left Rainbow Valley in August 2022.
Angela said: “It is was big shock that she pled guilty. We really didn’t expect that, we expected her to plead not guilty. She only told her family she was admitting a lesser charge the night before.
“It was two weeks after she left Rainbow Valley that Kendal Steven and I were working in the office when we discovered that money was missing.
“I reported it immediately, but it was taking a long time for police to gather evidence and get warrants. They had to go through the office accounts and try and find where the money had gone. The investigation has taken so long because it was so complicated.”
She explained: “It wasn’t the Rainbow Valley Official Account. That’s why it went undetected. She set up a separate account which people were paying into for our annual ball and she was pilfering money from that.”
The Duntrune Trekkers, aka Blair Johnson, Duncan McGregor and John Kennedy, who were all friends of the MacVicar family, climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, in 2014 to scatter some of Johanna's ashes.
Angela says she has mixed emotions about the case.
She explained: “She was my best friend and I loved her. I was afraid of how I would feel but I was determined I was going to court as I wanted to go look her in the eye. I was worried before I went in, wondering how would I feel seeing her for the first time since this happened? But I was determined to go to court. I wanted to go and look her in the eye.
“Would I feel empathy, sorry for her or angry? But I really didn’t feel very much. The woman that stood there was not the same woman she perceived to be.
“I didn’t feel anything. I can’t believe this has happened. She is a narcissist. How could you stand and speak and run events and meetings with people with cancer, portraying herself to be this lovely person wanting to help people with cancer.
“She likes to paints herself to be just wonderful and caring.”
She continued: “While it was being investigated I was scratching my head, thinking, this can’t be true. I had to look at the evidence to remind me, yes, she did. What a mess she has left.
“We are turning a corner. My daughter Gemma set up a GoFundMe page, which is gathering momentum. People are so angry at what she has done.
“I will be asking the court to order her to give us back the money she has taken. She has cash, but she wanted more.
“She is wealthy and I believe has the means to pay it back. She has a big house and lots of assets. You can’t take money from charity and get away with it.
“I told police she used to work for Anthony Nolan, which is why I trusted her. Police investigations uncovered that she stole from them too. It was a shock to me what had happened.”
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