Children’s charity volunteer sentenced for theft

A YORKSHIRE woman stole nearly £13,000 from a children’s charity and cashed cheques signed by the organisation’s dead director – because she was afraid of losing her home after her divorce, a court heard.

Kim Hobson, a finance worker at Sheffield Council, started volunteering at the city’s branch of the Children’s International Summer Villages (CISV) in 2007, later becoming their treasurer and chair.

Despite taking part in numerous fundraising activities for the charity, which educates and inspires children to act for a more peaceful way, Hobson, 54, deceived her colleagues to steal the total of £12,936.05 between March 2014 and February 2020.

A victim impact statement was read out at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday from a fellow volunteer of the charity, who had chosen to donate money raised at her own son’s funeral to the charity, which Hobson also cashed herself.

The woman said: “Her actions have shocked me and I feel I have been made a fool.”

Hobson’s crimes came to light when she told her brother what she had done. He in turn alerted the charity. She pleaded guilty to theft at an earlier court hearing.

In mitigation, Rebecca Tanner said Hobson was “genuinely remorseful”.

Ms Tanner said: “She had over stretched herself and there were debts escalating. The family home became a burden and she was unable to make the mortgage repayments.”

Recorder David Kelly sentenced Hobson, of Moor View Road, to 10 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. She was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.