SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Industry charity GambleAware has expanded its board of trustees with two new appointments to advise the organisation on addictive behaviour and UK health-related matters.
GambleAware welcomes London South Bank University Professor of Mental Health Marcantonio Spada and NHS Trust Surrey & Sussex Chief Finance Officer/Deputy Chief Executive, Paul Simpson as new trustees.
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.
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.
GambleAware informs stakeholders that the appointments were made following an open recruitment process supported by an independent recruitment advisor.
Furthermore, GambleAware states that the appointments see the charity complete its mandate of establishing a board completely independent of the industry.
Updating the market, 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.”
