Trustees and Staff

Dr Andrew Higgins BVetMed MSc PhD FBS MRCVS (Chairman)

Dr Andrew Higgins is a 1973 graduate of the Royal Veterinary College (University of London), where he also obtained his PhD in 1985. After a Short Service Commission in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, during which time he served in Ireland and in Oman's Dhofar War, he went to the University of Edinburgh where he got his MSc in Tropical Animal Health and Production. He became a Fellow of the Biological Society in 1993, is a Scientific Fellow of the Zoological Society of London and a member of ZSL's Ethics and Welfare Committees. Between 1988 and 1999, Dr Higgins was Scientific Director and Chief Executive of the Animal Health Trust, an independent veterinary research institute based in Newmarket. From 1990-2010 he was Honorary Scientific Advisor to the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) and was formerly Honorary Veterinary Advisor to the UK Jockey Club and chaired the British Equestrian Federation's Veterinary Panel. In 2009/10 he chaired a major Anti-doping and Medication Review for the Greyhound Board of Great Britain and now chairs their Doping and Medication Advisory Panel. Dr Higgins is Editor-in-Chief of The Veterinary Journal and has co-edited two textbooks. He is a consultant to several diverse organisations. He has been a trustee of many charities, including the Animals in War Memorial Fund, Dogs Trust, World Horse Welfare and the RCVS Trust.

Joe Akerman (Chair, Finance Committee)

Joe Akerman is a qualified public sector accountant with over 36 years work experience in finance and audit management, including six years as Head of Internal Audit for a local authority. He has a wealth of experience advising on financial issues, good governance and the promotion of high standards of integrity. Joe has had a lifetime involvement in greyhound racing as a racegoer, owner and carer for his retired greyhounds. His most successful greyhound was Son of Paleface ('Billy') who ran in top grade at Walthamstow in the 1980's. Billy became a much loved pet and enjoyed a deserved retirement on the family sofa. Joe was appointed as a Trustee of the Retired Greyhound Trust in February 2010 and is currently Chairman of the Trust's Finance Committee. He is also a member of the GBGB's independent Disciplinary Committee. Outside greyhound racing Joe has other sporting interests which include horse racing, football and golf.

Frances Allen MRCVS (Chair, Veterinary Committee)

Frances is a small animal practitioner working in Durham city since 1988 with particular interests in greyhounds, surgery and reproduction and the complementary therapies of acupuncture and, recently, Reiki. She was introduced to greyhounds immediately after qualification when a licensed veterinary surgeon attending Nottingham greyhound stadium and thereafter developed a passion for the breed, having owned, bred and reared them. Presently she is a licensed veterinary surgeon at Newcastle Stadium. Frances has served on the Council of the Society of Greyhound Veterinarians for over 12 years and was President from 2006-2008. Currently she is a member of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain Veterinary Sub Committee. In the last few years she has been increasingly involved with the RGT branches associated with the Newcastle and Sunderland stadia and in 2008 she joined the RGT Board of Trustees. Frances chairs the RGT Veterinary Committee that develops and oversees the implementation of the Trust's veterinary policies.

Roger Cearns

Roger is Managing Director of Cearnsport Ltd that operates Sittingbourne Stadium in Kent and hosts several major greyhound racing competitions including the Grand National, the Kent Derby and the TV Trophy. He has been involved with the sport since the 1960s and the involvement of his family dates back to his Grandfather opening Wimbledon Stadium in 1927. Roger is committed to greyhound welfare and as a Trustee he plays an important role in promoting the work of the Trust amongst his track operating colleagues. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Racecourse Promoters Association Ltd and a member of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain Marketing Committee.

John Haynes

John has owned and trained greyhounds at the highest level both in Britain and Ireland since the 1960s. He is a former Champion Trainer and became Chairman of the Greyhound Trainers Association in 1999, representing trainers on the British Greyhound Racing Board. In 2009 he stood down to join the Federation of British Greyhound Owners Association, first as Vice Chairman and more recently as Chairman. John currently represents greyhound practitioners (owners, trainers and breeders) on the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, represents owners as a Director of the British Greyhound Racing Fund, is a member of the GBGB Welfare Standing Committee (and chairs its Trainers Assistance Sub-committee) and is a long-standing Trustee of the RGT.

Andrew Rosindell MP

Andrew is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Romford in Essex. He was first elected to Parliament in 2001, having been the first Conservative to gain a seat from Labour after 1997. He was re-elected to the House of Commons in 2005 and 2010 and has now served in Parliament for nearly ten years. In June 2010 Andrew was elected to serve as a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. He was formerly a Shadow Home Affairs Minister with special responsibility for Animal Welfare, having previously served as one of Her Majesty's Opposition Whips and Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party. He continues to take a strong interest in animal welfare issues and is Chairman of the Zoos & Aquariums group and Secretary of the Associate Group on Animal Welfare. He is also Joint Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Greyhound Group.

John Simpson

John is a Professional Greyhound Trainer, operating from kennels in Essex. He first took out a training licence in 1982, having previously owned a number of racing greyhounds, and now provides runners predominantly for racing at Wimbledon Stadium. He is a member of the Greyhound Trainers Association Committee and was recently appointed as representative of trainers on the Board of the British Greyhound Racing Fund.

Maurice Watkins CBE LLM

Maurice is Senior Partner at Brabners Chaffe Street Solicitors in Manchester. He is the Chairman of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, a Director of Manchester United Football Club Limited and Chairman of the Manchester United Group Pension Scheme, a Non-Executive Director of the Rugby Football League, a Regional Chairman of Coutts Bank, Director of the British Association for Sport and Law and a Trustee of the Professional Footballers Pension Scheme. He is also a member of several other sports-related groups and committees. In addition to his role with the Retired Greyhound Trust, Maurice is involved with a number of other charities including as Chairman of Governors of the Manchester Grammar School, Chairman of both the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Charity and the Breakthrough Breast Cancer North West Appeal and a member of the NSPCC Sports Steering Group and the University College London Campaign Executive Committee.

Arthur Hammond (Honorary Vice President)

Arthur first became involved with the Retired Greyhound Trust in 1978. He is a long standing greyhound enthusiast and has owned racing dogs at a number of tracks. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Federation of British Greyhound Owners Association, of which he is the Honorary President and for many years has encouraged and helped tracks establish an appropriate retired greyhound rehoming scheme. In 2010 Arthur was the recipient of the RGT's national Award for Services to Retired Greyhounds.

Peter Laurie - Chief Executive

Peter joined the Retired Greyhound Trust as Chief Executive in July 2011. After graduating from the University of Oxford, he worked for an international business media organisation in various sales and production roles before spending five years at the Greyhound Board of Great Britain where he was Manager of Welfare and Integrity Services and Deputy Director of Regulation. During his time with the Board he was involved with the development and implementation of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010, and helped overhaul the sport's anti-doping and medication policies. In his role he worked with a range of stakeholders and animal welfare charities and organisations and served as Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the Retired Greyhound Trust. He also represented the Greyhound Board as spokesman on welfare issues in both national and local media.

He is a member of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain Welfare Committee, the Greyhound Forum and the International Greyhound Forum and frequently represents the RGT at meetings of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes and the All Party Parliamentary Greyhound Group.

Amanda Ainsworth - Office Manager

Amanda joined the RGT in June 1997 when there were 30 branches rehoming 1,300 greyhounds a year from an income of £400,000. She has been involved in implementing and overseeing many of the changes that now see the Trust consistently find 4,000 loving homes from a network of over 70 branches and raise approximately £3.5m each year. Amanda's dogs - Casper and Kodi - accompany her to work, while the cat, guinea pig and fish stay at home. Amanda is married with four adult children and when time allows enjoys horse riding and science fiction.

Jenny Greenshields - Finance Executive

Jenny joined the RGT in February 2002, initially working three days a week to manage the accounts. As the charity has grown, she now works four days a week and is responsible for maintaining the accounts, invoicing, payments and preparing reports as well as contributing to the Trust's financial strategy as an important member of the Finance Committee. Jenny homed her first retired greyhound in January 2002 and currently has three black and white dogs: Zola, Joe and Ben. She enjoys cooking and gardening in her spare time, and of course walking the "boys".

Hazel Perrin - Administrative Assistant

Hazel first became involved with the Retired Greyhound Trust in 2007 returning to full time work once her family left school. Her job at Head Office involves administrative work, but her main task is to enter the dog's details on the RGT database whether they have been rehomed/ returned/ lost or found. Hazel has always been involved with 'rescued' dogs since she was a child and enjoys seeing the greyhounds in the office each morning. She also works as a volunteer for her local Hospice.

Trisha Stonebridge - Administrative Assistant

Trisha joined the RGT in spring 2011. She has a keen interest in the welfare of dogs, large and small and sought a role that utilised her 30 years of retail management experience. Trisha has particular responsibility for the operation of Retired Greyhound Events Limited, a VAT-registered trading subsidiary of the Retired Greyhound Trust. From promotional items to greyhound equipment, she ensures the Trust's branches, supporters and homed greyhounds have a source of suitable merchandise that also raises money and awareness of the Trust's work.