The Reece Foundation has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting education, employment, and environmental causes across the North East following the sentencing of a former employee who stole over £46,000. Faye Dent, 39, of Elberfeld Court, Jarrow, admitted fraud by abuse of position and received a suspended prison sentence at Newcastle Crown Court.
Betrayal of Trust
Dent, who had worked with chair of trustees Anne Reece for more than ten years, abused her administrative role to process fraudulent payments to herself and her partner's account. The fraud was discovered in January last year when Anne identified a £15,000 payment that had been returned by the bank. Dent claimed it was an accidental insertion of her partner's details, but after her resignation, records revealed four further fabricated payments totalling more than £31,000.
Foundation's Response
Anne Reece, who chairs the foundation founded by her father, Dr Alan Reece, expressed the organisation's determination to move forward. "The Reece Foundation acknowledges the conclusion of criminal proceedings involving a former employee. Our focus is on the future and on continuing our work to support education, employment and environmental causes across the North East," she said.
"The Foundation remains financially stable and fully committed to its grant-making activities. We want to reassure beneficiaries, partners and stakeholders that we continue to operate and award funding in line with our charitable aims."
Impact on the Charity
In a business impact statement, Anne Reece described the fraud as having a "significant impact," noting that the stolen money would have supported charities and organisations in the region. "Faye was considered a friend of the foundation and the trustees and it has been a huge shock she would steal from the charity in such a manner," she said.
She added: "Many people give their time and energy for free and this is a betrayal of those people. It's been hard to come to terms with what Faye has done."
Sentencing and Background
Dent was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for 12 months, with a mental health treatment requirement. Her defence, Mairi Clancy, said Dent was "distraught" and "clearly devastated," having fallen victim to the gambling industry. The court heard Dent is the primary carer for two young children, and an immediate custodial sentence would have had a "catastrophic" impact on them.
The Reece Foundation, launched in 2007 by Dr Alan Reece, aims to promote manufacturing and support education in engineering, maths, and physics. Dr Reece, who passed away in 2012, was a renowned engineer and businessman. The foundation recently proposed the 'Ouse Burn Way' initiative to regenerate the Ouseburn area, following a study it funded revealing raw sewage in the river posed a "significant risk" to swimmers.
