Richard Sumray joins Alcohol Concern as Chair of the Board of Trustees
Tuesday 08 June 2010
Alcohol Concern is pleased to welcome Richard Sumray MBE as the new Chair of the charity's Board of Trustees, following on from Penny McVeigh who is stepping down after four years as Chair. Penny will remain a Trustee on the Board.
Richard brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, in the areas of health and criminal justice in particular, that will be positive assets to the work and future direction of Alcohol Concern.
A non-executive director in health from the mid 1980s, Richard has chaired NHS Haringey since 2001 and chaired both a Youth Court and Family Proceedings Court as a Magistrate for the last 18 years. He has also been an active member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, The Association of Police Authorities and both the National and London Criminal Justice Boards with a remit covering, amongst other areas, finance, planning and performance review, crime and disorder reduction, substance misuse and child protection.
Richard has an enduring interest in the positive application of sports, chairing the steering group for Kickz, an organisation seeking to engage young people from disadvantaged areas through football, and has been involved in the bid and preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games for London 2012 since the start, 15 years ago.
Richard is also currently a visiting professor at the University of East London and an advisor to the Board of London Higher.
Richard's interests and experience reflects the diversity of issues that factor into addressing alcohol misuse, an issue that touches on so many areas of life, for individuals, communities and public services.
Alcohol Concern chief Executive Don Shenker said:
“We are delighted to welcome Richard to the post of Chair of Alcohol Concern. His wealth of public sector experience and commitment to alcohol issues is paramount in all his work. The Board will relish the opportunity to continue to steer Alcohol Concern as the national agency on alcohol misuse under Richard’s chairmanship, following four successful years of growth under Penny McVeigh who we are extremely pleased will stay on as a Trustee.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
- Alcohol Concern is the national agency on alcohol misuse campaigning for effective alcohol policy and improved services for people whose lives are affected by alcohol-related problems.
- Alcohol Concern is a membership body working at a national level to influence alcohol policy and champion best practice locally. We support professionals and organisations by providing expertise, information and guidance. We are a challenging voice to the drinks industry and promote public awareness of alcohol issues.