Treasurer stole £155k from village's institutions

A woman has been jailed for three years for the theft of more than £155,000 from a community social club and a village hall charity.

Charlotte Young, 45, of Griffin Lane, Aylesbury was sentenced at Amersham Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of theft by employee.

The accountant and treasurer for the two organisations pocketed the money across an eight-year period in Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire.

Chairman of the community social club Paul Davies, 64, said people in the village were left feeling "horrified"

Young stole £125,681 while she was working as treasurer and accountant for the Long Crendon Community Social Club between 2015 and 2023.

The court heard how she took a further £29,498 from the village association's charity account.

Thames Valley Police arrested her on 19 October 2023 and she was charged in October 2025.

Det Con Stephanie Mason said: "Young had a previous conviction for fraud and went on to commit further offences in a similar manner, evidently believing she would evade detection.

"These offences spanned an eight-year period and had a significant impact on a community that had dedicated their time and effort to raising funds for charitable causes.

"The custodial sentence imposed is, in my view, wholly appropriate and serves as a clear reminder that such actions carry serious consequences."

Det Insp Duncan Wynn, from the central fraud unit at TVP, said proceeds of crime powers would be used to try to recover as much of the "stolen money as possible".

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