1 Nov 2023
Crustacean Compassion (CC) has announced a new Chair of the board who has taken over from one of its founding members to head a newly expanded board.
Georgina Groves has taken over as the Chair following the resignation of CC co-founder Maisie Tomlinson, who is stepping down to focus on other projects after helping guide the organisation to a place of strength over seven years.
Georgina is one of the Founders and previous Executive Director of Wild Welfare, an international charity dedicated to improving welfare for captive wild animals, and currently works as an animal welfare strategy consultant. She has more than 20 years of experience working for animal welfare, research and conservation organisations, including Bristol University Farm Welfare Research, the Natural History Museum, London, World Animal Protection and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Georgina’s focus on wildlife welfare has meant she has worked on projects spanning multiple countries and regions as well as with a range of different species; focusing on supporting the development of optimal animal welfare and ethics within zoos and sanctuaries through bespoke industry training, policy development and welfare auditing.
Maisie Tomlinson, co-founder and outgoing Chair says: "As strange as it feels to be moving on from the organisation it has been an absolute honour to co-found, I could not be more delighted to hand over as Chair of the Board to Georgina Groves.
“Georgina is an experienced and well-respected leader in the field, who shares our strong ethical values. With the support of an expanded Board of experienced and passionate professionals, I know that under her guidance we will start to see more and more welfare protections for the crabs, lobsters and other decapod crustaceans who so desperately need our help."
Georgina will be taking over the board of eight people which still includes one founding member.
Georgina said: “I found out about Crustacean Compassion quite early in its development because of my work in the wildlife welfare sector. I’ve always been passionate about supporting species that often get less attention, usually because they don’t fit into the “cute and cuddly” category – I think most would agree decapod crustaceans are an example of that!
“I was really interested in hearing about the organisation’s progress, and its success in getting decapods included in the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act was a phenomenal achievement. I know how hard everyone involved worked to make that a reality.
To be able to contribute to the organisation's work in some way was too much of an opportunity to miss! I've been fortunate to work with a multitude of exotic wild animals through my work around the world but rarely had the opportunity to work with decapods and am excited to get to support work that aims to give species such as lobsters, shrimps, and crabs much greater protection from harm and suffering. I am honoured to take on this role as Chair, leading a new board of Trustees to support the fantastic work the organisation is doing".
The new Board Members who joined Crustacean Compassion in September are:
Amanda Spivack. Amanda joins CC from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, where she is Director of Fundraising and Engagement. An experienced leader, her career has involved achieving healthy and sustainable income streams, building strong donor relationship programmes, and delivering growth in fundraised income and supporter engagement.
Joanne Pinney. Joanne is a qualified commercial solicitor, currently working as Legal Counsel for the Pets At Home Group PLC across their retail, veterinary services and charity work. She also volunteers as an assistant for the Board of the Scottish SPCA.
The new Board Members who joined Crustacean Compassion in August 2023 are:
Sarah Dickinson. Sarah brings a wealth of experience in communications and media and has considerable experience in working on ocean and animal protection campaigns, and until recently was Head of Media at the Blue Cross.
Klare Kennett. Klare is currently Head of Brand Marketing at The Brooke, having previously spent 22 years in media, marketing and communications at the RSPCA.
Alice Morgan. Alice is an experienced Director of Fundraising, who has experience in campaign strategy, donor relationship management, and proposal writing. She is currently Head of Fundraising at the Lullaby Trust.
Morvah George. Morvah is an experienced senior animal welfare campaigner and strategist, who joins us from her role as Global Campaign Lead for Wildlife at World Animal Protection.
Crustacean Compassion, Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ben Sturgeon said: “We are very pleased to welcome our new Chair and directors, they are an exceptional group of people who will bring great experience and expertise to the organisation. It is great news for the organisation, but also bittersweet as we will be very sorry to say goodbye to the former Chair Maisie Tomlinson.
“As a co-founder and former Executive and Campaign Director of Crustacean Compassion, Maisie has done a huge amount to improve the welfare of decapod crustaceans and we as a team look forward to continuing to build on her legacy until they are afforded the proper protection they are due as sentient animals.”
Georgina added: “There is still much to do to make sure decapods are provided the protection they deserve, and I want to use my experience in running a charity and my expertise in wildlife welfare to help contribute to CC’s ambitious but strategic plans".
ENDS
Notes to editors: For further information, images or to arrange interviews please contact Communications Manager Jo Barr at j.barr@crustaceancompassion.org or call 07498 554537
Crustacean Compassion is a not-for-profit animal welfare organisation which campaigns for the legislative protection and humane treatment of decapod crustaceans such as lobsters, crabs, prawns and nephrops, based on the scientific evidence of their sentience. Crustacean Compassion does not campaign against the use of decapod crustaceans as food. Instead, it welcomes good practice in the food industry and believes all decapod crustaceans should have their species-specific needs met. For more information visit www.crustaceancompassion.org