Britain’s GambleAware has strengthened its senior leadership team as part of an extensive restructuring of the problem gambling prevention charity.
The new hires form part of GambleAware’s new five-year organisational strategy, which includes a commitment to applying a public health approach to addressing gambling harms.
This has seen Anna Hargrave appointed chief commissioning officer and Alexia Clifford named chief communications officer, with the pair joining a new chief operations officer in support of the charity’s goal of a society safe from gambling harms.
Other senior hires include a new Research, Information and Knowledge Director; Head of Programme and Project Management; Prevention and Evaluation leads and Fundraising & Engagement Manager.
“We are very pleased to welcome our new senior leaders, each of whom bring with them invaluable skills and knowledge in areas integral to the successful delivery of our new five-year organisational strategy,” said GambleAware CEO Zoë Osmond.
“We are working hard to drive forward GambleAware’s new programme of work which demonstrates leadership in establishing, developing, and maintaining a co-ordinated network of services, including the expansion of the National Gambling Treatment Service.”
Hargrave, GambleAware’s new chief commissioning officer, has worked in NHS commissioning for 13 years and is a highly experienced health and care leader with a wealth of knowledge and expertise of the intricacies of the system. Her hands-on experience of working collaboratively at a national level with government departments and industries will be highly beneficial in the expansion of the National Gambling Treatment Service.
“I am deeply passionate about reducing health inequalities in the UK and minimising the impacts of gambling harm on people and their families is a key component of this,” said Hargrave. “I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to share my skills of working within the health and care system with GambleAware and look forward to working with the charity and other public health agencies, local authorities and organisations to help reduce gambling harms.”
Clifford takes on the role of chief communications officer, having previously served as marketing director at Public Health England (PHE), leading the government’s flagship public health campaigns across a wide range of priorities, including mental health, physical activity, healthy eating and smoking cessation.
“I am thrilled to be joining GambleAware, and to play my part in delivering its vision of a society where people are safe from gambling harms,” Clifford said of her new role. “I look forward to bringing my skills and expertise to this crucial public health priority, and to leading communications and marketing programmes that make a demonstrable contribution to improving people’s lives.”