A volunteer at the Christian poverty charity St Vincent de Paul has been sentenced to four months in jail for stealing more than £8,000 from the organisation.
Barbara Allen, 64, of North Shields, Tyneside, had been volunteering with the organisation for more than a decade when the wrongdoing was uncovered in 2017, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Allen was responsible for managing bookings for the charity’s property on Holy Island, which is rented out to youth groups for holidays.
The court was told an internal investigation revealed that between 2013 and 2017, Allen had fraudulently obtained seven cheques to a total value of £8,625 in her own name from a group that had used the premises.
The charity reported the fraud in 2020, after its internal investigation was concluded.
According to the victim impact statement, the theft had an impact on the organisation’s surplus funds and affected its maintenance work.
Third Sector has contacted St Vincent de Paul for comment.