Dignity in Dying appoints top Equal Opportunities Commission Change Champion as new CEO (30 August 2007)

30th August 2007

Dignity in Dying appoints top Equal Opportunities Commission Change Champion as new CEO

Dignity in Dying, the UK’s leading organisation campaigning for patient choice at the end of life, has appointed the Equal Opportunities Commission’s Head of Communications and Change, Sarah Wootton, as its new CEO.

Sarah, who has worked at the Equal Opportunities Commission for almost seven years, brings with her a wealth of experience, having worked in the public sector for over seventeen years. Her career has also included stints at the Family Planning Association and Community Service Volunteers.

Wootton’s core focus will be to raise the profile of Dignity in Dying and to position it, not just as representing assisted dying, but as a UK leader in all end-of-life issues, such as better access to palliative care, the choice of dying at home and reinforcing choice through living wills.

On her appointment, Wootton comments; “Politically this is an exciting time, with a new Brown government and an opposition that is more engaged than any before on the need to appeal to the electorate on social issues. I would like to take the end-of-life campaign to the political parties in a new and challenging way. I am convinced people at the end of their lives deserve real choice in any democratic society and want to be part of delivering that in the UK.”

Wootton will lead the organisation in campaigning to change the current law in order to allow terminally ill people the right to request an assisted death.

Nick Moore, Chairman of Dignity in Dying said; “We have reached the stage where we are raising our profile politically and through the media as the issue of assisted dying for the terminally ill continues to gain support. We look forward to contributing to this issue with Sarah on board and we are sure her vast knowledge of campaigning and the public sector will be a huge asset to us.”

Notes to editors

Dignity in Dying is the leading organisation in the UK that advocates assisted dying for terminally ill patients.

The organisation is also the country’s leading provider in information on end-of-life issues.

Dignity in Dying has over 100,000 supporters and receives its funding entirely from donations from the public.

Opinion polls consistently show that at least 80% of the UK population support a change in the law on assisted dying.

An interview with Ashley Riley, Head of Campaigns and Communications at Dignity in Dying, is available to download at https://www.dignityindying.org.uk/aboutus/.