Ryan Calvert, a disgraced Aberdeen businessman and convicted domestic abuser, has come under fire after falsely claiming to donate a portion of his company’s profits to two specific children’s charities. The shocking revelation sparked outrage, leading to the removal of the misleading web page from his business website.
Convicted domestic abuser Ryan Calvert promised to give a portion of his profits to charity and included a description and logos of the two organizations on the website of his van conversion firm, Vanbitious. However, neither charity was aware it was featured on the website and confirmed it has no records of donations from Calvert, Vanbitious, or Calvert’s metal fabrication and welding business, Calfab.
The P&J preferred not to identify the two charities, and both declined to comment. Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told Calvert employs four full-time staff. Calvert also refused to comment on the case and referred a reporter to the Vanbitious “media department,” which did not respond to requests for comment.
“Your support makes a difference. We consider ourselves fortunate to be able to do what we do, and helping those in need is an essential part of our journey. We aim to give back for every complete build we undertake by donating some of our profits to select local charities.” The Vanbitious site’s outreach page states.
On Wednesday, more than a week after the charities first contacted the business, the entire “outreach” webpage disappeared from the website. The 36-year-old Calvert of Jesmond Road, Bridge of Don, was exposed as a violent domestic abuser when he appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
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He had been found guilty of 11 charges of violent and degrading acts that he cruelly inflicted on two former partners who suffered over a nine-year period during which he worked as a DJ at the Justice Mill pub on Union Street. The jury heard that Calvert strangled one of his victims until she blacked out.
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Despite the severity of his crimes, Calvert was spared jail time. He is currently appealing his conviction at the Sheriff’s Appeal Court. A member of the public who believed he was actively involved with the two northeast children’s charities was alerted to the claims on the Vanbitious website.
“When I looked at his outreach page, I understood it to mean that his business supports these two featured charities—either by donating money to them or working with them in some way,” the person spoke anonymously.
The person said that if they were a prospective customer, what that page appears to communicate might sway them to give them their business because of where they would believe some of their money should be going – to benefit the charities listed on the Vanbitious webpage.
According to the person, why else would he proudly display the charities’ names and logos on a page about his company’s belief in ‘helping those in need’ and stating its ‘aim to give back by donating a portion of their profits to select local charities’? the person curiously asked. In their opinion, it’s misleading.
One of the charities replied to the concerned citizen’s email, appreciating them for alerting the organization. A screenshot of the reply was widely disseminated in social media posts across Facebook and LinkedIn.
In the email, a charity worker said Calvert had once approached them. Still, it has never benefited from his website’s philanthropic claims.
She replied to the emailer that the company contacted them in 2022 to tell them that they would like to give regular donations, but they have never received a single penny from them and had no idea they were listed on their website.
She said she has contacted the company to ask for them to be removed, so fingers crossed, they will. That request was sent on February 24, and the page was removed a week later.
What’s next for Ryan Calvert?
Under The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, businesses making false claims about charitable donations can face criminal charges. It states that it is a criminal offence for any business to carry out a misleading action or make a misleading statement about its involvement with charities.
The law expressly states that any misleading action or statement—especially one likely to deceive customers into making financial decisions—constitutes an offense.
As public scrutiny mounts, Calvert’s credibility continues to erode. His attempt to leverage charity goodwill for business gains has backfired, leaving customers, the public, and the charities he exploited demanding answers.