Bully-claim cop’s yoga charity folds
Kids’ group got thousands in handouts
A charity set up by a former police officer while she was on sick leave has closed. Inspector Aimee Canavan was one of a string of off icers to lodge bul lying allegations against ex Police Scotland chief constable Phil Gormley. She went off sick in the summer of 2016 and last year she helped set up Wholistic Life in Larkhall, Lanarkshire. The charity taught mindfulness, yoga and wellbeing to youngsters. An application was lodged to wind up the group, which received tens of thousands of pounds in handouts. It comes amid claims Canavan, who has now left the force, has reached a settlement with Police Scotland. Wholistic Life was described by its co- founder Susan Livingstone as “making a real and positive impact on the physical and emotional wellbeing of our community”. The charity received £ 25,000 through a social enterprise fund. It got almost £10,000 from the Big Lottery Fund and £2000 from the STV Children’s Appeal in March. The charity was also propped up by a Just Giving page which helped raise about £150 for help with running costs. Accounts show its income for 2017 as £20,261, with expenditure at £10,339. In January, SNP MP Christina McKelvie met t he d i r e c t o r s to help “kick off the Year of Young People in spectacular style”. Livingstone said the charity had “been overwhelmed by the number of local young people who have come along to take part in the free activities and programmes we offer.” But documents with char ity regulators OSCR reveal Wholistic Life applied to have the company wound up as part of a “solvent dissolution”. That means it had enough assets to pay its debts before it shuts. Canavan, who worked at Police Scotland HQ at Tulliallan Castle in Kincardine, did not respond to a request for comment. Gormely quit as chief constable in February, during investigations into claims of gross misconduct. He denied any wrongdoing.