GambleAware confirms appointment of new chair of trustees
Andy Boucher to step up at the gambling harm prevention charity on 1 April following the retirement of current chair Professor Siân Griffiths
GambleAware has announced the appointment of Andy Boucher as the charity’s new chair of trustees ahead of the transition to the new statutory levy in the UK.
Boucher will succeed Professor Siân Griffiths in the role on 1 April, with the incumbent chair set to retire on the same day.
Boucher’s ascension comes as the statutory levy on operator’s GGR is due to come into effect on 6 April, with operators now required to pay 1% of annual revenue to charitable causes.
Griffiths has served as a GambleAware trustee since 2017, while Boucher joined the organisation’s board in December 2023.
During her time with GambleAware, Griffiths also held roles including deputy chair of trustees and chair of the charity’s performance and delivery committee.
Alongside her current position, she also serves as Emeritus professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and as a non-executive director for Public Health Wales.
Griffiths said: “Gambling harms are a serious public health challenge, intertwined with inequalities and poverty. They occur across all walks of life and can affect anyone.
“By working in partnership with others and listening to the voice of the lived experience community, I hope an evidence-led, population-health approach, supported by appropriate statutory funding, will prevent and reduce harm for all those affected.
“As I retire, I wish to thank all those in the charity and the wider sector for all that they do. I have worked closely with Andy in his role as deputy chair and offer him my full support and confidence as he leads the charity through the forthcoming period of transition.”
Boucher concurrently serves as chair of London’s Sir George Monoux Sixth Form College, a director for Business in the Community, partnership director for the Social Mobility Business Partnership and as vice chair and honourary secretary of the charity ,Making the Leap.
He previously spent 16 years as a partner at professional services firm PwC.
Boucher added: “First of all I want to express huge gratitude to Siân for the immense contribution she has made over the last eight years. It is a critical time to be taking on this role as chair of GambleAware and I am looking forward to leading the charity through this period of change.
“I am committed to ensuring the future gambling harms system builds on the success and expertise within the charity, which has been a driving force and leader in this space for many years.
“My priority will be to ensure that there is no degradation of services or programmes during the transition and that the invaluable assets and unparalleled expertise of our staff continue to benefit the system and those we are all here to support.
“GambleAware has a key role during this transition period and I will continue build on this and help unify the voice of organisations involved in gambling harm prevention within the new world.”
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