GambleAware announces the appointment of two new trustees, and completes its move to establish a Board that is wholly independent of the gambling industry. The new trustees are:

Professor Marcantonio Spada, Professor of Addictive Behaviours and Mental Health at London South Bank University.

Paul Simpson, Chief Finance Officer/Deputy Chief Executive, Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

Professor Spada is the Head of the Division of Psychology and Deputy Lead of the Centre for Addictive Behaviours Research at South Bank University. He brings to the Board significant experience in working to identify factors that influence various addictive behaviours. Similarly, Paul Simpson brings to the role significant healthcare and financial management experience which stems from an extensive career in senior finance roles across a range of local NHS Trusts.

The appointments were made following an open recruitment process supported by an independent recruitment advisor.

Alan Jamieson and Brigid Simmonds have retired at the end of their respective terms of service as trustees.

Kate Lampard, GambleAware’s Chair of Trustees said:

“We are delighted that Marcantonio and Paul have agreed to become trustees of GambleAware. Between them, they bring strong experience in addiction, public health, finance and risk management. Also, I should like to record our thanks to both Alan and Brigid for their hard work as trustees.

GambleAware’s Board is now wholly independent of the gambling industry, and we believe this is necessary to secure public trust and confidence given our central role in commissioning research, education and treatment services. Trustees continue to call for a statutory levy on the gambling industry to ensure research, education and treatment services are adequately and sustainably funded. In the meantime, we will continue to pursue our charitable objectives to reduce gambling-related harm within the Government-prescribed voluntary donation-based system currently in place, and we are confident that this can and ought to be achieved without the need for anyone employed by a gambling company to have a seat on the Board.”