‘Selfish’ woman who stole more than £155,000 from charities jailed

A “selfish” charity worker who stole more than £155,000 from two charities she worked for has been jailed for three years.

Charlotte Young, aged 45, of Griffin Lane, Aylesbury, was sentenced this month at Amersham Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of theft by an employee.

She stole almost £126,000 while working as a treasurer and accountant for the Long Credon Community Social Club and took more than £29,000 while in the same role at the Long Credon Village Association. The offences took place from 2015 until 2023 when she was arrested.

Young was eventually charged in October last year.

Detective Constable Stephanie Mason of Thames Valley Police’s Central Fraud Unit said Young had a previous conviction for fraud and “went on to commit further offences in a similar manner, evidently believing she would evade detection”.

“These offences spanned an eight-year period and had a significant impact on a community that had dedicated their time and effort to raising funds for charitable causes,” she added.

“The custodial sentence imposed is, in my view, wholly appropriate and serves as a clear reminder that such actions carry serious consequences.”

Detective Inspector Duncan Wynn from the Unit said the police force “will use all proceeds of crime powers available to ensure as much of the stolen money as possible can be returned to the victim and will ensure Young is stripped of any assets and financial benefit she acquired using stolen funds”.

He added: “The sentence reflects the severity of the offences whereby Young systematically exploited the position of trust she was placed into and stole over £150,000 of money which was raised by the community for charitable purposes.

“These selfish acts have left a huge whole in much needed community funds. Young showed complete disregard for this and covered her tracks well enough to be able to live a lavish lifestyle on these ill-gotten gains for 8 years.

“I hope that the sentence imposed will act as a deterrent to others and demonstrate our commitment to pursue fraudsters and bring them to justice on behalf of victims.”