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Stornoway, Lewis

A woman who stole £22,000 from a community gala event is now involved in fundraising events for island charities at the Lews Castle College in Stornoway.

Karen Spruce, 56, of Mill Street, Stornoway, was convicted of embezzling £22,000 which plunged the annual festival in Wick, where she formerly lived, into serious financial chaos.

She is on probation for the offence after only avoiding jail by promising to repay the stolen cash by the end of this year.

Spruce is now the president of the Lews Castle College’s Student Union which is raising money for the Linda Norgrove Foundation, set up in memory of the island aid worker who was kidnapped and killed by Afghan insurgents in October.

The student body is also undertaking events to donate funds to other Western Isles causes.  None of the charities have a direct link in any way with Spruce or the college and have no say in how the fundraising is conducted and managed.

Spruce also sits on the college’s board of management.

Campus sources say Spruce did not reveal her offence when standing for election though she maintains: “I came clean about my conviction when I was asked to apply for the student union.”

Spruce acknowledged she recently presented a cheque to an island charity but stressed: “I have nothing to do with the money. The treasurer and college finance officer deals with that. They are the signatories on the cheques.”

Karen Spruce said: “I have spoken to David Green, the college principal, and he is supportive of me.

“I said I did not want to be involved with the money. I have been honest with the college. I have no part in the finances.”

College principal David Green said: “The college is completely aware of the issue.

“The information was volunteered by the individual concerned and we are very comfortable with the arrangements over handling money for the Students’ Union.”

He said the fundraising protocol was “very clear to ensure the financial matters are being dealt with by others.”
 

One students’ fundraiser is an indoor sponsored cycle event for the Linda Norgrove Foundation set up by John and Lorna Norgrove to continue their daughter’s works to rebuild the lives of Afghanistan people. The foundation will focus on women and family projects.

At Wick Sheriff Court in June last year, Spruce, was sentenced to 18 months probation to include 240 hours of unpaid work for the theft which took place over three years, between April 2005 and June 2008.

She previously pleaded guilty to swindling £22,000 from Wick Town Improvements Association (WTIA) a voluntary body which staged the annual gala and reinvested the proceeds into community amenities.

The court was told she repeatedly lied to the group to hide her deceit.
 

The WTIA was plunged into a massive financial crisis as a result and needs to wait for Sprice to repay all the money she took before being wound up.

The week-long carnival event and town amenity development initiative were only saved after local businesses and residents rallied and a new organising body, Wick Gala Committee, was formed.

However, the long running gala event, which evolved from the Herring Queen Festival in the early 50s, will be scrapped unless more people volunteer by a crunch deadline on Tuesday.

Embezzler involved in charity fundraising drive          27/3/11