Drowning prevention charity appoints senior fire officer as new Chair

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), the drowning prevention charity, has appointed new Chair of the Board of Trustees.

The charity today (Wednesday) announced that Dawn Whittaker will take up the new role with effect 3 July this year, a role designed to further develop RLSS UK’s governance structure.

Dawn, Deputy Chief Fire Officer for East Sussex Fire and Rescue, has worked with RLSS UK for a number of years. She is the Chief Fire Officer’s Association (CFOA) lead for Drowning Prevention and Water Safety and is a member of the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF) coordinating group so is very well placed to continue to support the charity in its aims of reducing drownings and the teaching of vital water safety education.

RLSS UK CEO, Di Steer said: “On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the RLSS UK staff team, I would like to say that we are extremely pleased that Dawn has accepted the role as Chair of RLSS UK Board of Trustees.”

RLSS UK President, Peter Moyes, added: “There are many synergies in the work that Dawn already focusses on in her various roles and complements the activity we undertake.

“We welcome her and know that she will help us to build on our success and we grow and look forward.”

Dawn’s affiliation with RLSS UK began in 1999 when she attended one of the charity’s Save a Baby’s Life courses.

She said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity of taking on the Chair of the Board of Trustees of RLSS UK.

“In my other roles, I have seen the great work that the charity, staff and volunteers do on the ground and in partnership with the community and other organisations, and I have had the pleasure of being a member and supporting a number of drowning prevention events in Northamptonshire with RLSS UK colleagues over the last few years.

“I know the passion that Trustees, staff and volunteers have for making a difference to drowning prevention in the UK and I am looking forward to working with them all in developing the future direction for RLSS UK.”

The Chair of the Board of Trustees is a new role introduced by the Charity .Over recent years the role of the Chair has been performed by the RLSS UK President.

Dawn will Chair her first Board of Trustees meeting which is set to take place in September.

For more information on RLSS UK –

Visit our website at www.rlss.org.uk

Follow us on Twitter – @RLSSUK

Visit our Facebook page – www.facebook.com/RLSSUK

Call – 01789 773994