Benevolent appoints four new trustees to help further engagement with the UK trade

By Erin Smith

Published: 08 April, 2016

The Benevolent has appointed Diana Hunter of Conviviality Plc, Guy Lawrence of Mast-Jägermeister UK, Rita Greenwood of Wiliam Grant & Sons UK and Simon Difford of Difford's Guide to help further the Drinks Industry Charity to engage with trade.

All the appointments were made as each individual has an understanding of the needs of their respective sector and are best equipped to reach out their businesses, employees and channels.

HWS Dan Townsend April 2016 Dan Townsend

Benevolent chairman Dan Townsend said: "I am delighted to welcome the new trustees to the Board. They are all well-known and highly respected and bring with them hugely relevant experience which will be invaluable at this crucial time in trade charity's growth. Their appointment is a solid demonstration of The Benevolent's commitment to on-going expansion and engagement with the wider UK drinks industry community."

Chris Mason, from William Wiliam Grant & Sons UK, who had been a trustee for the past sixteen years and had been a past chairman, stepped down following his new role at the company as managing director of European Markets. Rita Greenwood will be taking his place to continue the long standing relationship and support that William Grant & Sons has offered the Benevolent.

"We want to have a vibrant group that are leaders to be our trustees. Partially they provide us good insights into their sectors, but they are also great ambassadors in their particular segments. I am asking them really to be my flag wavers," said David Cox, the chief executive of the Benevolent.

Diana Hunter Diana Hunter

Hunter's appointment is an opportunity to introduce the Benevolent to another sector of the drinks trade that may not have been as aware of the benefits of the charity and what it has to offer according to Cox.

He said: "With the appointment of Diana Hunter, we were already connected with Matthew Clark, but with her much broader reach with franchisees we are hoping to become more well known in that sector. We are hoping more people will know that there is an organisation that is out there to help those in the drinks trade and what we have to offer."

Equally bringing in both Guy Lawrence and Simon Difford, Cox is hoping to help ensure that those employed in on-trade outlets across the UK are more aware of what the charity does.

"In the case of Simon and Guy again we probably weren't as well known as we needed to be and there may be a need of help in those channels and people may not know we exist. It is all about getting more people the help we can offer," explained Cox.