TV host, wildlife expert and trustee of Wildheart Trust in Sandown, Chris Packham, has been named as the new president of the RSPCA.
The renowned Springwatch presenter made the announcement during a speech at an event at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in The RSPCA Garden on Tuesday (23rd May).
Chris, 62, has been a vice president at the charity for almost 15 years and has pledged to help create a better world for animals as he steps up into the prestigious President role.
Chris said:
“I am immensely proud to take on the role of president of the RSPCA – the world’s oldest and largest animal charity. This honour comes at a historic moment as the charity counts down to its 200th birthday next year in 2024. I see this time as one of the most critical times for animals in the last 200 years.”
“We are at a pivotal moment for animal welfare, and the decisions we make will have huge repercussions for animals all over the world. Everywhere we look there are human issues that are affecting animals and it’s imperative that we make change, for the better.”
“Every decision we make, on every scale, affects the world around us. Letting sewage pour into our rivers, where we decide to build our houses, decisions we make on how we power the country – all of these things threaten our wildlife”
“The Cost of Living crisis is already having far reaching and devastating effects on families and it is in turn impacting our pets too, with increases in abandonments and neglect, people struggling to pay for vet care and even to feed their animals.”
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Speaking from The RSPCA Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show Chris added:
“We’re living through uncertain times with seismic shocks that have undermined our own sense of security and wellbeing – a pandemic, a cost of living crisis, a war in Europe, the repercussions of all of which are still being felt and will be for years to come. During times of social and economic stability, that is when animals can suffer and when charities like the RSPCA are needed more than ever.”
“We’ve seen the pandemic take its toll, with more animals coming into RSPCA care and rehoming slowing as cost of living pressures bite. There has been a 25% rise in abandoned animals year on year as people are struggling to look after their pets and incidents of neglect have increased by 13%.
“The other casualty of these shocks is political will. When Governments are under pressure to support people, animal welfare can take a back seat for politicians and policy makers, but this would be a huge mistake. Animal welfare is central to many of the big challenges facing governments and society, not just here but around the world, now and in the future. The time to act is now and we all need to take steps to help the animals around us.”
Welcoming in Packham as the new president, RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said:
“We are really excited to welcome Chris Packham as president of the RSPCA. Chris is much loved and a well respected voice for all animals who speaks to a wide range of society. Like us, Chris is ambitious for animals and we have a huge amount we want to achieve by 2030 and beyond, and his passion and expertise will help us get there.”
He added:
“He has been a vice president at the RSPCA for almost 15 years now and during his time in this official role he has supported the RSPCA with countless projects spanning across all our work. Stepping up into the presidential role is a natural next step and we are looking forward to working with him closer to create a better world for all animals.”
Well done Chris, you will be a brilliant representative of the RSPCA.
Well considering the RSPCA would allow an island man ( who was convicted for the miss treatment of farm animals and had a life time ban on keeping cattle ) Forster or look after any sheep and pigs on there behalf at his small holding I don’t really have a lot of faith in them !
Out of interest when was he convicted? I can’t find any reference anywhere. Let me know.
Not sure why the dislikes to this comment. The blokes a T W A T
He’s a Southampton-born man for a start, is he not? BTW – never put into writing what you can’t prove in Court?
Here’s one person won’t donate to the RSPCA anymore.
Paul not Chris Peckham ! Was the rspca allowed an island man who had a ban on keeping cattle .. was on the farm near the festival grounds
Paul I never said he was I wrote an island man and it wasn’t Packham , a man from rookly was banned from keeping cattle yet the rspca was still allowing him to look after there animals . I don’t get why I have so many dislikes what I have said is the truth !
Packham’s association with green fanaticism and its disruptive fanatics raise concerns that he is the wrong choice.
Your association with far right fanaticism would raise concerns if you weren’t an insignificant nobody.
According to the press Packman is too busy going on the Just Stop Oil Marches. Yet he is happy to travel around the country in cars etc and to the IOW in oil guzzling ferry’s.
By “press” I assume you mean those well known founts of truth and honesty, the Daily Mail and Express.
Nobody’s perfect but I’m sure Chris will rise to the challenges of his well deserved recognition by the R.S.P.C.A. Give the man some slack.
Exactly. Just like Boris during lockdown and all my Tory chums who gave multi million pound taxpayer funded contracts to their friends and families, just to make them rich at the public expense. Cut them all some slack.
The right man for the job a man after my own ❤
RSPCA The prevention to cruelty to animals so they feed them meat hypocritical
What are you gibbering on about? Cats, both the domestic kind as will as big cats like tigers are obligate carnivorous. That means they can only eat meat and can’t survive on a non meat diet.
What is cruel are vegans who force their pet cats to eat meat free diets.