Drinkaware Trust

This article is part of the Spinwatch public health oriented Alcohol Portal project.

Formerly the Portman Group's charitable division, the new Drinkaware Trust (Drinkaware) was established in January 2007 as part of the ongoing alcohol harm reduction strategy in England. It is governed by 13 independent Trustees with backgrounds ranging from alcohol experts from the health, education and voluntary sectors and from within the drinks industry. Drinkaware's mission is to construct and implement an alcohol harm reduction programme and to promote responsible drinking. The alcohol industry pledged £12 million to the charity over three years and said it would put its significant weight into promoting the charity’s consumer information website www.drinkaware.co.uk in advertising, at point of sale and on product labels.

Expectations for the trust were set out in a memorandum of understanding between The Portman Group, the Department of Health, the Home Office, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Office. The following details are from the memorandum:

The existing Trust (being the charitable arm of The Portman Group) is seen by both Government and industry as an appropriate starting point for developing a new and independent fund, as set out in the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England. Noting that the "Drinkaware" brand has already begun to establish itself in the public's consciousness, it is essential that this be retained as the consumer-facing brand of the Trust.

The new Trust will be an independent body operating across the UK, which will require the support of a wide range of industry and non-industry stakeholders to be successful. As part of ensuring the stakeholder buy-in to the new Trust, the new Board of Trustees could consider assigning a new name. The trust will be governed by a Board of thirteen Trustees, comprised as follows: five non-Industry Trustees from health, education, youth and community work law or academia with an interest in alcohol; five industry trustees, two members with no current professional interests who could contribute fundraising or marketing experience from other sectors; and one independent chair with a proven track record in CSR and in chairing, launching and/or growing a similar scale business and/or charitable organisation in another sector. None of the trustees would REPRESENT any particular body or group - each would have obligations to represent only the interests of the Trust itself.

Accountability

Relevant Government Departments will send observers to the meetings of the Board of Trustees, which will include the Devolved Administrations, but the Government has no formal role in the governance of the Trust. The new Trustees will recruit a new Chief Executive. There will be no shared administrative or staffing functions with The Portman Group. The new Trustees will secure an early separation from shared location with the Portman Group - the permanent Chief Executive will present options for separation within six months of appointment.

Funding

The member companies of The Portman Group (TPG) agree that they will provide core funding to the Trust at the levels specified in the projected budgets, and that TPG will work to secure further investment in the Trust from the wider industry. The aim is to secure an annual budget of at least £5m by Year 3, starting with £3m in Year 1, rising to £4m in Year 2. The aim in the first three years is for Trust to aspire to attract funding from as broad a base of support as possible.

In line with the partnership approach, Government (including the devolved administrations) will consider 'in-kind' technical support to the Trust. Following normal procurement protocols, the new Trust will be free to tender in open competition on the same basis as other organisations for relevant Government departmental contracts to deliver public education campaigns on alcohol issues.

Criticisms

Critics have claimed that the trust's funding is inadequate to tackle the growing rates of alcohol related harm in the UK. The aim of securing £5 million in three years falls short of Alcohol Concern's belief that £20 million a year would be needed for the trust to fulfil its responsibilities. Although this too probably falls short when considering that marketing by the drinks industry in 2004 was between £600m and £800m with estimates that of this total, £200-250m was spent on advertising. Further criticisms emphasise its reliance on industry for funding and argue an independent body would be a more appropriate mechanism for change. Questions over who should serve on the board of trustees, and how independent trustees can be when receiving alcohol industry money are central to the debate.

Projects & Partners

The Drinkaware Trust works with the Scottish Executive in the Partnership Agreement: Scottish Executive and the Alcohol Industry. This partnership involves representatives of the alcohol industry working with the Scottish Executive with the aim of reducing alcohol misuse and related consequences.

Directors

• Chris Sorek Chief Executive from November 2008
• John Dunsmore
• Christopher Searle
• Joseph Woods
• Peter Swinburn

Trustees

• Derek Lewis Chair, Chairman Protocol Associates
• Carolyn Bradley - Commercial Director, Tesco Stores Limited
• Tim Clarke - Chief Executive, Mitchells & Butlers plc
• John Dunsmore - Chairman and Managing Director, Scottish & Newcastle, currently Chairman of the British Beer and Pub Association and a member of The Portman Group Council.
• Professor David Foxcroft - School of Health and Social Care, Oxford Brookes University
• Nick Grant - Head of Legal Services, Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd & chairs the cross industry Retail of Alcohol Standards Group.
• Stephen Hogg - Senior Communications Officer, Centrepoint
• Srabani Sen - Chief Executive, Alcohol Concern CEO of the national agency on alcohol misuse and has supported the development of Drinkaware as a member of the initial stakeholder steering group.
• Dr Nick Sheron - Head of Clinical Hepatology, Southampton General Hospital
• Benet Slay - Managing Director, Diageo Great Britain
• Dr Michael Wilks - Chairman, Representative Body, British Medical Association

.

Non-Industry Lay Trustees

• Dominic Fry Tulchan Communications, Editorial Intelligence.
• Jason Stockwood Managing Director Match.com

Former Trustees

• Chair: Debra Shipley former MP, replaced by Derek Lewis January 2008.
• Jean Collingwood Chief Executive .

Funders

The Drinkaware Trust is supported by voluntary donations from across the alcohol drinks industry, including producers, pub companies and retailers. The aim is to secure an annual budget of at least £5 million within 3 years, from as broad a base of support as possible.

• Anheuser-Busch Europe Ltd
• ASDA Stores Ltd
• Bacardi-Martini
• Beam Global Distribution (UK) Ltd
• Beverage Brands
• Brown Forman Brands
• Carlsberg UK Limited
• Coors Brewers Limited
• Diageo (Great Britain)
• Enterprise Inns plc
• Foster's EMEA
• Global Brands Ltd
• Heineken (UK) Ltd
• InBev UK Limited
• JD Whetherspoon
• Marston's plc
• Mitchells & Butlers plc
• Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd
• Pernod Ricard UK
• Punch Taverns plc
• SABMiller plc
• Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd
• Scottish & Newcastle UK
• Tesco plc
• Threshers Group
• Waitrose Ltd
• Worshipful Company of Distillers