Dr Jane Rigbye to step down as Ygam CEO
Rigbye has spent three and a half years at the helm of the responsible gambling charity.
UK.- The responsible gambling charity Ygam has announced that Dr Jane Rigbye will step down from her position as its chief executive officer in June after three and a half years in the role. She will be appointed to the Ygam Board as a trustee, continuing to support the charity in this new capacity.
Ygam’s chief operating officer, Helen Martin, has been appointed as Interim CEO pending the opening of a recruitment process.
A chartered psychologist and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health, Rigbye has spent nearly two decades working in the field of gambling harms. She played a pivotal role in establishing Ygam as a major UK charity dedicated to preventing gaming and gambling harms among children and young people.
Under her leadership, Ygam has significantly enhanced its profile, expanded its reach, and increased its impact through a new strategy and rebrand, which included the recent launch of a new website. The charity is now recognised across multiple sectors for evidence-based programmes, which support hundreds of schools, colleges, and universities. It also works with groups like the Scouts, Mumsnet, Place2Be, and The Children’s Society.
Ygam chair Mike Wojcik said: “On behalf of the Board, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Jane for what she has achieved during her tenure. Jane has played a pivotal role in strengthening our engagement with government and key stakeholders, championing the vital role of the third sector during a period of significant reform. We wish her all the best in her next chapter and look forward to building on the strong foundation she has helped to create.
“We are confident our senior leadership team will continue driving our strategy forward and making a meaningful impact.”
Rigbye said: “Leading Ygam has been an incredible honour. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved as a team, and I know the charity will continue to go from strength to strength. The work we do has never been more important, and I have been continually inspired by the passion and talent of the Ygam team. While I am stepping down as CEO, I remain fully committed to Ygam’s mission and look forward to continuing to support its vital work as a trustee.”
The news comes as gambling research, education and treatment bodies in the UK prepare for major changes in funding arrangements amid the introduction of a mandatory UK gambling levy from April 6.
As announced last November, the levy aims to raise a guaranteed £100m+ in funding via a tiered system. The NHS will be the primary commissioner of the RET Levy and will oversee the distribution of funds, half of which will stay with NHS England, NHS Scotland and NHS Wales.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) will serve as Prevention Commissioner, overseeing 30 per cent of funding for gambling harm prevention, including public health campaigns and frontline training. The remaining 20 per cent will go to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to fund research on gambling-related harm.
Last month, Gamstop and YGAM called for more gambling education and support at British universities after the UK’s Fourth Annual Student Gambling Survey found that 10 per cent of male student gamblers spend more on gambling than groceries and struggle to afford food due to gambling harm. The study found that one in 10 students gambled between £51 and £100 per week while male students’ average spend was £33.54 compared to £36 per week on groceries.
