'Cancer charity thief betrayed me and tarnished my daughter's name'

A woman whose best friend stole more than £85,000 from the cancer charity set up in her daughter’s memory says she “tarnished” her child’s name.

Rainbow Valley, a foundation which helps people suffering with cancer and their families, was set up by Angela MacVicar who lost her daughter Johanna to leukaemia in 2005 aged 27.

Angela’s best friend Lindsay MacCallum helped organise Johanna’s wedding and gave a eulogy at her funeral.

In 2012, she helped found the charity. Ten years later she was charged with stealing more than £85,000 in donations.

Lindsay MacCallum helped organise Johanna MacVicar's (pictured) wedding before her death. — Lindsay MacCallum helped organise Johanna MacVicar’s (pictured) wedding before her death. Rainbow Valley

MacCallum, from Aberfoyle, set up a bank account to receive donations from the charity and was charged with forming a fraudulent scheme to appropriate funds.

The 61-year-old arranged for the donations to be routed through a bank account she had access to in her official capacity before transferring the money to her personal bank accounts.

Johanna was 16 when she was diagnosed with leukaemia. Her mum said gathering research, identifying options and seeking out genuine people, therapies and support was a daunting task.

Lindsay MacCallum, right, stole from the charity set up in memory of Angela MacVicar's daughter. — Lindsay MacCallum, right, stole from the charity set up in memory of Angela MacVicar’s daughter. Supplied

She feels MacCallum has “tarnished” her daughter’s name.

Angela told STV News: “Johanna always felt their was a missing piece in her treatment, she was very grateful to the NHS. She wanted to take back control.

@stvnews
A woman has admitted stealing more than £85,000 from a cancer charity set up in memory of her best friend’s daughter who died from leukaemia. #stvnews #news #leukemia
♬ original sound – STV News

“I feel she (MacCallum) tarnished Johanna’s name. It is awful. She was such a close family friend.

“She was involved in organising my daughters’ weddings, she gave a eulogy at Johanna’s funeral.

“She was my best friend, saw me through some dark times and I loved her with all my heart.”

The charity was said to be in financial trouble in 2022 due to the Covid pandemic and MacCallum gave her guidance that they would have to fold.

The court heard MacCallum obtained £85,978 between February 2013 and November 2021. Andy Laing

“I believe she was trying to sink the charity because she thought it would just all go away – that it would all get buried and nobody would find out,” Angela told STV News.

MacCallum told her the following year she intended to leave because she didn’t want to fundraise anymore.

Angela discovered what had really been happening two weeks later.

“To think that we almost collapsed and if I didn’t stumble across what I did, we could have been gone,” she said.

“The betrayal, the loss I felt when I discovered this two years ago. I was bereft.

“I felt as if I didn’t know that person – I was bereaved.”

The court heard MacCallum obtained £85,978 between February 2013 and November 2021.

“She’s ruined so many different lives but I won’t let her ruin Rainbow Valley,” Angela said.

“We will work together as a family and are already getting back on our feet.

“I believe she’s sorry but only sorry she got caught.”

MacCallum was also charged with forming a fraudulent scheme to appropriate funds being donated to the Anthony Nolan Trust between July 2011 and September 2016.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard she obtained £9,505 in her official capacity with the stem cell charity as a result after forging signatures of office holders on cheques.

She was remanded in custody and will be sentenced in October.