An ex-Scouts leader has avoided jail after he pleaded guilty to the theft of almost £200,000 that had been intended for a Scouts trip to Canada.
Robert Sidley, of Worcester, pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position at Worcester Crown Court on 19 October.
He was subsequently given a 32-month prison sentence, which has been suspended for two years, and has also been ordered to carry out 220 hours of unpaid work.
Sidley previously held senior voluntary role
Sidley had been the Hereford and Worcester county Scouts commissioner – a voluntary role – from 2017 until this year.
Hereford and Worcester Scouts had been raising funds since January 2025 for the trip, which would have seen 100 children and 27 volunteers travel to Canada in summer 2026.
However, the trip was cancelled in March this year due to a lack of funds.
In a letter to parents at the time, the charity said that there had been a “significant theft of funds” from a bank account that had been set up for funds for the Canada trips.
It added that it believed the theft had been ongoing for an “extended period of time”.
At the time, Andrew Thorp, the UK Scouts' deputy public relations lead, told Civil Society that the Scouts had reported the theft to the police and Charity Commission “as soon as we became aware that something was wrong with the operation of this expedition.”
Hereford and Worcester Scouts has been approached for new comment.
