Coming home: new RSPCA chief exec returns for new challenge

Wednesday, 19 October 2011 5:03 PM

The RSPCA has appointed international communications boss Gavin Grant as its new chief executive.

Gavin (56) takes over at the RSPCA at the start of 2012 as the charity looks to sustaining its anti-cruelty programmes while cutting costs amid the continuing economic slump.

Despite reducing its annual running costs by £10 million since 2009, the charity is concerned by the stagnating economy's effects on animals.

Gavin, a former RSPCA director said: “The RSPCA is the world’s biggest and best animal welfare charity. It has an immense amount to be proud of and more to do in a challenging environment for all charities.

“People in this country care passionately about animals. There is enormous public support for the RSPCA and our work, and we need to harness that goodwill even more effectively to help meet these serious challenges.”

Gavin - who has a dog and three cats - has substantial commercial, leadership and communications experience.

He was the RSPCA's director of campaigns and communication between 1988-91. He led communications for The Body Shop, and joins the RSPCA from the UK arm of the global public relations company Burson-Marsteller (B-M) where he was Chairman (B-M are the largest PR firm in Sir Martin Sorrell's WPP). While there Gavin founded B-M’s corporate responsibility unit and provided a range of international clients with strategic advice.

He added: “The RSPCA is a big charity that achieves big things - when I was last at RSPCA, we campaigned for a ban on battery cages. Thanks to constant public support and action, that ban finally becomes law in January.

”We also wanted compulsory dog registration to promote responsible ownership. The moves towards this in Wales are great but the bigger battle is yet to be won.

“The RSPCA is unique - only the RSPCA can rescue abused animals and bring bringing the abusers to justice.

 “Our country reputation is as a nation of animal lovers. Sadly the truth can be very different. We have a chance to put that right.”

Gavin takes over from retiring chief executive Mark Watts. Meanwhile he'll be out and about meeting RSPCA inspectors, staff, branches and volunteers throughout England and Wales.

”Every year the RSPCA finds more loving new homes for abandoned and abused animals than any other organisation,” he added. “We couldn’t do that without the support of our branches, volunteers and staff. They do so much for animals in need. I want to meet as many of them as possible before I start.”

In the last few years the RSPCA has continued to modernise, including new handheld mobile technology for all RSPCA inspectors. There has also been investment in a team of pet animal scientists using forensic techniques to tackle animal cruelty and a new online re-homing service on the charity’s website.

The RSPCA, with its network of 166 branches across England and Wales, has also seen a string of campaigning successes in the last five years, from chicken welfare, the ban on hunting and the Animal Welfare Act.

Notes to editors

For a photo of Mr Grant, please contact the RSPCA Press Office on 0300 123 0244 / 288 or email press@rspca.org.uk.

Gavin Grant - Career

1979 Organising secretary, All-Party Joint Committee Against Racism

1987 Campaigns director, Council for the Protection of Rural England

1988 Director of campaigns and communication, RSPCA

1991 Director of public affairs, Association of Unit Trusts and Investment Funds

1994 Director of global communications and public affairs, The Body Shop

1999 Chairman of public affairs, Burson-Marsteller UK, launches Corporate Social Responsibility Unit

2005 Chairman, Burson-Marsteller UK
RSPCA - Key facts & figures

On average every 30 seconds someone in England and Wales dials 0300 1234 999 - the RSPCA's 24-hour cruelty line - for help. We received more than 1.1 million phone calls during 2010.

The charity works to improve the lives of millions of farm, laboratory, companion and wild animals.

The RSPCA has just been named as the 2nd most highly ranked charity in the annual Charity Brand Index (2011): www.thirdsectorresearch.com/cms-assets/documents/32676-242350.brandindex2011-top125.pdf

We were established in 1824 as the SPCA - Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Royal patronage followed in 1837 and Queen Victoria gave permission to add the royal R in 1840, making us the RSPCA as we're known worldwide today. For more about our history, see our website: www.rspca.org.uk/in-action/aboutus/heritage

We have about 460 uniformed staff working on the frontline to prevent cruelty and promote kindness to animals in England and Wales. During 2010, the charity rescued and collected 130,033 animals, investigated 159,686 cruelty complaints and found loving new homes for 83,268 animals.

For more facts, see: www.rspca.org.uk/media/facts


RSPCA, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 9RS
Press office direct lines: 0300 123 0244/0288 Fax: 0303 123 0099
Duty press officer (evenings and weekends) Tel 08448 222888 and ask for pager number 828825
Email: press@rspca.org.uk Website: www.rspca.org.uk  

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• animal welfare