GambleAware names Sian Griffiths as chair of trustees
Griffiths previously served as president of the UK Faculty of Public Health.
UK.- The gambling industry-backed grant-making body GambleAware has named Sian Griffiths as its new chair of trustees. Griffiths, who has been deputy chair for several years, will start in the role on July 18.
She replaces Baroness Kate Lampard, who has served as chair since 2016 and is leaving to oversee the Lampard Inquiry into mental health inpatient deaths in Essex.
Griffiths has previously chaired GambleAware’s performance and delivery committee and is a non-executive director for Public Health Wales and a former president of the UK Faculty of Public Health. She served as an associate non-executive member of Public Health England’s global health committee’s advisory board until it was dissolved in September 2021. She also chaired the Hong Kong government’s SARS Inquiry, going on to join the Chinese University of Hong Kong as founding director of the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care.
On her new appointment, Griffiths said: “I am delighted to accept this appointment and to continue working with GambleAware to ensure gambling harms are viewed as a serious public health issue. GambleAware’s independence from the industry remains paramount and is demonstrated across all areas of the charity’s work. I look forward to continuing these efforts with my public health colleagues and experts within GambleAware board as we transition to a new statutory funding model.”
GambleAware has reported that it received £49.5m in voluntary donations in 2023/24. That’s a rise from £46.5m for the 2022-23 financial year.
The vast majority of the donations (94 per cent) came from Britain’s four largest gambling operators, who together donated £46.6m, up from £43.5m in the previous year. The donations help fund the body’s commissioning work, public health and education campaigns, training programmes, and prevention and treatment tools.
Earlier this month, the body recommended a pre-watershed ban on broadcast gambling advertising on television, radio and video on demand. The measure would expand on the current, voluntary whistle-to-whistle advert ban, which it said covers only 2 per cent of broadcast gambling ads.
The industry-backed grant-making body also called for a ban on gambling marketing at sports events, including the removal of sponsorships from sports clothing, merchandise and stadiums. Premier League clubs have agreed to a voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling logos from 2026.