GambleAware, the UK charity dedicated to improving awareness of problem gambling, has appointed Rachel Pearce to its Board of Trustees.

As one of NHS England’s 10 commissioning directors, Pearce is responsible for a £1bn budget across directly commissioned services including: primary care; Armed Forces for England; and, Health and Justice for South of England.

Pearce’s experience of strategic leadership will be a welcome addition in offering assurance to five Clinical Commissioning Groups.  

Kate Lampard, GambleAware’s chair of trustees, commented on the new appointment: “We are delighted that Rachel has agreed to become a trustee of GambleAware.

“She brings strong experience in commissioning, and we now consider the board to have a full complement of trustees that will enable us to pursue our charitable objectives to reduce gambling-related harms.

“GambleAware’s board has been wholly independent of the gambling industry since last year, and we believe this is necessary to secure public trust and confidence given our central role in commissioning research, education and treatment services.”

Alongside a career in the NHS, Pearce has been a trustee for 13 years with charities providing drug and alcohol support services, and latterly, mental health support. This included serving as vice-chair of the Gloucestershire-based charity The Independent Trust until 2014.