Claire Horton, charity worker

Desert Island Discs

BBC

Society & Culture, Music Commentary, Music, Personal Journals

4.4 • 13.7K Ratings

🗓️ 28 February 2021

⏱️ 37 minutes

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Summary

Claire Horton is the former chief executive of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, and is currently director general of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. She joined Battersea in 2010 during its landmark 150th year, spearheading a campaign which transformed the animal rescue service into a UK top 10 charity brand. During her years in charge, income and volunteer numbers quadrupled; new facilities were developed and the charity successfully campaigned for changes in animal welfare legislation. As a teenager Claire volunteered for a number of organisations including Mencap and the Riding for the Disabled Association. At 18 she joined the police force as a special constable, patrolling the streets of Dudley where she lived. Her first position in the charity sector was at the NSPCC and she later worked for the Cats Protection League and the Variety Club of Great Britain. In 2020 she was appointed CBE for her services to animal welfare. DISC ONE: Howlin’ For You by The Black Keys DISC TWO: Drink, Drink, Drink by Mario Lanza DISC THREE: Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush DISC FOUR: Ghost Town by The Specials DISC FIVE: Agnus Dei, Op 11composed by Samuel Barber, conducted by Edward Higginbottom, performed by Choir of New College Oxford DISC SIX: Affirmation by Savage Garden DISC SEVEN: Heroes by David Bowie DISC EIGHT: Benedictus by Karl Jenkins BOOK CHOICE: A book by Dick Francis LUXURY ITEM: A piano and sheet music CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Paula McGinley

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts
0:04.9	Hello, I'm Lauren LeVern and this is the Desert Island Disks Podcast.
0:08.8	Every week I ask my guests to choose the 8 tracks, book and luxury they'd want to take
0:13.3	with them if they were cast away to a desert island.
0:16.7	And for right reasons, the music is shorter than the original broadcast.
0:20.9	I hope you enjoy listening.
0:45.5	My cast away this week is Claire Horton, former chief executive of Battersea Dogs in Catom.
0:50.7	She spent most of her working life in the charity sector.
0:54.1	At the NSPCC, the Cats Protection League, the Variety Club of Great Britain and, as we
0:58.7	speak, she's just taken up a new role as Director-General of the Commonwealth Wargraves Commission.
1:04.6	But it was her transformation of Battersea that made headlines and won awards.
1:09.0	She took over running the beloved but struggling animal rescue charity in 2010.
1:13.8	It's 150th year and set about dragging it, if not kicking and screaming, then certainly
1:19.1	woofing and meowing into the 21st century.
1:22.8	Under her tenure, income and volunteer numbers quadrupled, new facilities were developed
1:27.8	and the charity successfully campaigned for changes in animal welfare legislation.
1:32.6	She was awarded a CBE last year for her work in this area, but caring for cats and dogs
1:37.0	wasn't her original career plan.
1:39.2	She left school at 16 and two years later she joined the West Midlands Police Force,
1:44.0	where she patrolled the streets of Dudley.
1:46.2	She says, it sounds twey, but I've always been drawn to trying to make a difference to
1:50.4	the lives of others.
	...

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