The fraud case against David Heathcote has finally concluded with Mr Heathcote receiving a sentence of two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, on 8th September 2023 at Nottingham Crown Court.
David Heathcote managed the Ollerton and District Economic Forum (ODEF) charity, which was set up after the pit closure in 2002, as Company Secretary. ODEF had many hard-working volunteers and a small paid staff who, over the years, provided valuable community support projects. Amongst these were Support for Job Seekers, Transport to Work, Wild Sherwood and Feel Good Foods Community Garden.
Just after Mr Heathcote retired in 2017, the key members of the Volunteer Core Group discovered that the charity had numerous debts and was actually insolvent. All projects stopped immediately, and staff wages were not paid.
The garden project was able to be rescued and now continues to carry out its excellent community health work under its new name Feel Good Gardens at the Sherwood Pines site.
Former ODEF Core Group Chairman, Gala Middleton, would like to thank Sheila Norton and Roy Hawke who, with her, were instrumental in uncovering the fraud which had forced the closure of ODEF. Many thanks to Richard Epton, together with other Core Group members, who provided support through a very difficult and stressful six years.
ODEF would also like to thank Nottingham Police Force who followed through with a thorough forensic accounting investigation and brought the case to court.