Governance

We have robust governance processes in place to guarantee our independence from the gambling industry. GambleAware has no trustees, managers or decision makers who are employed, paid by or connected to the gambling industry. Our Board includes trustees who have extensive public health and NHS backgrounds, selected based on their expertise to support the commissioning of best practice national prevention, education, treatment and support services.

We are committed to the Charity Governance Code, which includes a priority to be transparent and accountable and, as part of this commitment, we are in regular communication with the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling.

Our Board of trustees is chaired by Baroness Kate Lampard CBE, lead non-executive director on the Department of Health & Social Care Board and a trustee of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. Other trustees have extensive public health and NHS experience.

Our Lived Experience Council also plays a pivotal role in shaping our short and long-term plans. The Council is comprised entirely of people with lived experience of gambling harms, including those who have been affected by other people’s gambling.

How do we ensure GambleAware’s transparency and independence in decision-making ?

 We have the following measures in place:

• Inviting government and statutory agencies to observe committee and Board meetings
• Publishing the terms of reference and minutes of  such meetings
• Adhering to the Charity Governance Code to ensure best practice
• Registering with the Fundraising Regulator, and publishing donation details
• Updating our Donations Acceptance Protocol with additions aimed at reinforcing the independent decision making around donations which must align with our charitable objectives.
• Actively applying a thorough Conflict of Interest Process, which includes the appointment of a Conflict of Interest Trustee.

Funding

GambleAware has long called for the introduction of a statutory levy on the gambling industry to provide long-term sustainable funding for research, education and treatment. We are delighted the Government included plans to introduce a levy in the Gambling White Paper.

A levy will enable proper funding oversight, avoid duplication of work and provide a sustainable, transparent and long-term funding model to ensure the successful delivery of the research, treatment and prevention services needed to prevent and treat gambling harms.

The new statutory levy will give certainty and stability of funding so we can make long-term commitments to meet population needs. It will also ensure further separation between the industry and commissioning of services to prevent gambling harm. Sustainable funding will enable us and those working to reduce gambling harm to increase access to early interventions, expand the number of local systems that can act to prevent gambling harm and develop a commissioning plan which is specifically targeted at helping young people and children. 

The expertise and independence of our trustees is key to the commissioning of national prevention, education, treatment and support services.

How do we ensure independence and transparency in our commissioning decisions?

We have several processes in place , including:  

• Processes designed so that commissioning decisions are always examined for their alignment to our charitable objectives.
• Independent & expert committees take funding decisions subject to approval of the full Board of trustees, informed by the views of our Lived Experience Council.
• An updated Organisational Strategy 2021-26, setting out the charity’s commissioning priorities, was published in 2021.