YGAM CEO to depart at end of October
Lee Willows to step down after more than seven years in role as charity enters “third strategic cycle”
The Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) founder and CEO Lee Willows will leave the charity at the end of October. Willows has served as CEO of the body since September 2014 having established the charity with Anne and Keith Evans following their lived experience with gambling-related harm. Willows oversaw the establishment of YGAM as a leading gambling-related harm prevention charity in the UK, securing several awards for its programmes for young people across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Helen Martin has been appointed as COO, after nearly two years as director of finance for the charity, and will assume extra responsibilities until a replacement CEO is found. YGAM said it would announce further details regarding the recruitment process for a new CEO in due course. Willows said: “It has been a privilege to lead this amazing charity for seven incredible years. “With the endless support and dedication of my co-founders Anne and Keith, I have been on an extraordinary personal journey and I feel extremely proud of what we and the staff team have achieved together,” he added. Willows went on to state it was the right time for him to step down from YGAM as it enters its next strategic development stage. He continued: “As YGAM is entering its third strategic cycle, the timing is right for me to step down. This is a special charity and one that has exciting plans for the future. “I will always passionately support the exceptional staff team and I look forward to seeing what they can achieve next.”