News
Tom Kavanagh CBE appointed to GamCare's Board of Trustees
24 June 2010
Tom Kavanagh CBE, who headed the Gaming Board for Great Britain for 14 years, has joined GamCare’s Board of Trustees.
GamCare Chairman, Anthony Jennens says: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome Tom to our Board. I speak for all the Trustees when I say that we are most fortunate in having the benefit of Tom’s great wealth of knowledge and experience, together with his sound judgement, at our disposal.
Tom has earned the respect of treatment agencies, regulators, Ministers and the gambling industry over the years in his roles as Secretary of the Gaming Board for Great Britain from 1991 to 2005, and subsequently as Deputy Chief Executive at the Gambling Commission. Tom is also both a past Chairman (2005 to 2008) and past Secretary (1991 to 2005) of the Gaming Regulators European Forum. In bringing to our Board such wide ranging knowledge of regulation he will greatly enhance our pool of expertise.”
Tom Kavanagh was awarded the CBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list in June 2003. Tom was ordained as a Deacon in the Roman Catholic Church in September 2005 and is the Diocesan Director for the Archdiocese of Southwark for Missio, an international Catholic charity which raises money to support projects in the developing countries.
Tom Kavanagh says: “I am very pleased to accept this appointment, being familiar with the excellent work that GamCare does in supporting problem gamblers, in helping the gambling industry to improve player protection and encouraging responsible practices. I am delighted at the opportunity this gives me to contribute directly and on a personal level to the charity’s work and am very much looking forward to my closer involvement in all that GamCare does and hopes to do in the future.”
Press contact:
Eileen Kinghan, GamCare, 020 7801 7003, 07535 459 753 eileen.kinghan@gamcare.org.uk
NOTES FOR EDITORS
1. GamCare, established in 1997, is a registered charity and the leading national provider of counselling, advice and practical help for anyone experiencing or affected by problem gambling. GamCare’s immediate, confidential one-to-one support services are the telephone HelpLine and online NetLine. Also online we have a Forum and ChatRoom. We deliver counselling face to face in London, Manchester, nationally through a network of partner agencies, and online. Counselling is free to clients although donations are welcomed. We train our Partners in treating problem gambling and fund them to deliver support to anyone who needs it. For more information about GamCare and how it is funded, and for problem gambling statistics go to http://www.gamcare.org.uk/pages/faqs.html.
2. Anyone concerned about the amount of time or money that they or someone close to them is spending gambling can talk direct and in confidence to an adviser from 8am to 2am on our HelpLine 0845 6000 133 and its equivalent online, NetLine at www.gamcare.org.uk. We take a non-judgemental approach and offer one to one immediate advice and support, as well as information about how to access local counselling and other relevant services such as money advice. GamCare’s counselling is tailored to the individual’s needs. Reasons for continuing to gamble despite negative consequences can be complex and gambling sometimes can offer a means of escape from seemingly intolerable thoughts and feelings. Our counsellors employ a range of therapeutic approaches to facilitate discovery of the underlying reasons for the problem gambling behaviour, with the intention of achieving long term change.