At the start of August NIVCA warned community/voluntary/charity groups of potential difficulties that could arise if they dealt with Mark Townley of NTF. As the cached link shows NTF displayed Social Enterprise Coalition, Give with Confidence, ICO, Learn Direct and DEL logos on their website so could easily have been accepted as an organisation with integrity.
NICVA is advising voluntary and community organisations and sports clubs not to hand over any money to NTF or to their Director Mark Townley, as an advance of receiving minibuses through a ‘part-funded’ scheme.
A few days later the company ceased trading leaving behind a string of debts and out of pocket charity/voluntary groups.
While this has been reported in the local media, Director Townley has so far only spoken with the Sun Newspaper and he used the opportunity to blame NICVA for his company’s demise:
He told the Sun: “The rings would have been delivered but unfortunately I had to shut down the organisation after NICVA warned people to stay away.”
NICVA have rejected this claim.
As yet none of MSM media outlets have connected Townley’s involvement in similar failed and/or illegal cash up front schemes.
In 2008 he was involved in a modelling ‘scam’ in Dublin that is claimed to have netted him £750,000.
In 2006 he was involved in a scam targeting people looking for work as bodyguards in England:
Mark Townley legitimately set up a training scheme and asked for pounds 250 to be sent to a mail box address in Liverpool for those interested in taking part.
Ian Davies, prosecuting, said they were told they would be attending a training course in Dolgellau, but when they turned up they learned they had been conned.
Police tracked down Townley, 25, of Dublin, in Belfast and he was arrested.
Appearing at Liverpool Crown Court, he admitted 14 offences of obtaining money transfers by deception between March and May, 2006.
The court heard that in April last year he received a suspended six-month sentence for a fraud involving charging pounds 25 arrangement fees for loans dating to 2004.
Judge John Roberts sentenced Townley to six months
As you can see the 2006 trial noted his previous conviction for fraud in 2004.
So one thing is clear, every two years Townley comes up with a new ‘scheme’ and very few seem to benefit but him.
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