Local councillors save charity facing closure after botox fraud

Finance | Vibeka Mair | 5 Oct 2010

An HIV support charity which faced closure after one of its workers stole over £4,000 to fund her botox company, has been saved by two local councillors who donated £6,500 to the centre.

Body Positive in Blackpool feared it would only survive until next year after it discovered its employee Bianca Campbell had stolen £4,127 from its account to pay for her own botox company, Fresh Face.

As a result of Campbell's theft and the loss of £15,000 in local authority funding cuts, the charity was forced to make two staff redundant and had to cut services.

But last week the charity was giving a reprieve after Labour councillors Simon Blackburn and Gary Coleman donated £6,500 to keep the charity running.

Campbell, who was dismissed by the charity in March when the crime was discovered, pleaded guilty to fraud at Preston Crown Court.

The court heard Campbell used a bank card, given to her by Body Positive to pay for work equipment, to order products for her company.

Campbell was given a total of six months prison, suspended for a year, with 12 months supervision.

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