Breast Cancer Care (Scotland) fraudster faces prison

Fundraising | 11 Apr 2008

The Institute of Fundraising Scotland has expressed its relief that the sector is finally to get closure on the Breast Cancer Care (Scotland) scandal, following the news that Anthony Freeman, the fundraiser who siphoned £450,000 from the charity, looks likely to be sent to prison.

Freeman was arrested in May 2003 after the Scottish Charities Office found major discrepancies in the accounts of his fundraising agency, Solutions RMC. Between 1996 and 2002, only £1.5m of £13m raised for Breast Cancer Care (Scotland) had been spent on its charitable purpose, while around £8m had been paid in commission to Solutions RMC – money that was transferred to an off-shore bank account shortly before the agency went into liquidation.

The media coverage following Freeman’s arrest resulted in donations in Scotland falling by a third over a two month period. “The abhorrent actions of this individual did inflict short-time damage on the sector but it did not take long for charities, fundraisers and donors to rally round and bring donations back,” said Maureen Harrison, chair of the IoF Scotland. “A positive aspect of this case is that it went some way to speeding up the passage of the Charities Act and we are just now settling into a system where we have a new charity regulator, the self-regulation of fundraising, and a far safer environment in which donors can give.”

Judge Lord Kinclaven remanded Freeman in custody citing the “serious nature” of the crime. Sentencing is on 31 October.

Directory: Breast Cancer Care | Institute of Fundraising

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