Nottingham charity worker jailed for stealing donations
Heidi Bucknall sold theme park tickets online, which were meant for children with cancer
An admin assistant at a cancer charity in the East Midlands has been jailed, for stealing donations meant for sick children.
Heidi Bucknall organised theme park visits for sick children, but pocketed hundreds of donated tickets and sold them on eBay.
The 32-year-old also organised for grants to be paid into fake family accounts, which were found to be linked to herself.
She began working for PASIC (Parents Association for Seriously Ill Children) in 2012. The charity supports families of children with cancer across the East Midlands and uses donations to organise trips out for them, including to theme parks and other attractions.
Bucknall’s offending – which took place between June 2015 and April 2021 – was uncovered when a company that provided free tickets spotted them for sale on eBay.
Nottingham Crown Court heard she made approximately £30,000 from the crimes.
On Friday, Bucknall, of Tyburn Close in Bestwood, was jailed for two years and four months.
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Anna Haynes, who led the investigation, said: “The criminal actions of Heidi Bucknall have had a profound impact on a fantastic charity and the lives of those connected to it – including its staff, volunteers and of course the children and families who benefit from its incredible work.
“Money and tickets that could have helped the families of very sick children was selfishly pocketed by Bucknall and nothing can excuse her actions.
“I would like to thank PASIC for working closely with us to expose Bucknall’s criminal actions and bring her to justice.”
Louise Towse, PASIC CEO, said: “Providing support and comfort to families facing the devastation of childhood cancer has always been, and remains, our priority. We would like to reassure all our supporters, beneficiaries, and colleagues that our charity is in good health and our work continues as normal.
“Since the incident was uncovered in 2021, we have conducted a thorough review of governance and financial controls to ensure such misappropriation cannot be allowed to happen in the future.
“We would like to thank DC Anna Haynes for her help in bringing the case to this outcome.”