The Kennel Club outlined plans for growth and brand transformation at its Annual General Meeting on 24 June 2025, held at Friends House in London. The event marked a significant moment of change, with the retirement of Chairman Tony Allcock OBE after six years of dedicated service, and the election of new board directors to help drive the Club’s future direction.
Making his last address as Chairman of The Kennel Club, Tony Allcock OBE, opened the AGM, by thanking the members for their presence at what was a crucial meeting with a considerable agenda. He also thanked the 132 members who joined and contributed to the two online question and answer sessions which had been held earlier in the month, to provide an opportunity to answer any questions that members may have had in advance.
In a speech that was both reflective and forward focused, Tony thanked members for their commitment and highlighted a number of achievements over the past year, including the launch of the Health Standard, the new Regional Support Network, the Judges Education Programme for Breed Shows and increased engagement and continued attraction of utilising the Clarges Street premises, where the venue hosted its first wedding in October 2024.
Tony said: “It has been a privilege to serve The Kennel Club, and I leave confident that with the renewed energy and clarity of purpose, The Club is in strong hands for the future.”
Members were asked to vote on a number of agenda items, which included;
- Appointment of Auditors
- Election of new Vice-Presidents Honorary Life Members and Directors
- The sale of Emblehope and Burngrange Estates at profit
- Extended access to Club premises for non voting members (Friends of The Kennel Club)
- Proposed amendments to increase fees in line with the Consumer Price Index
All of the proposals were carried.
Jannine Edgar, Kennel Club Chief Executive, said:
“We are grateful to our members for voting these proposals through, helping us secure a bright, relevant and impactful future in a challenging economic climate.
“We are committed to diversifying our revenue streams and working to drive down the levels of subsidisation required across many of our treasured activities. We want to build now on what we have, so that we are best positioned to achieve our purpose. The Board and the Executive team, working hand in hand, will continue to focus on developing ways for The Kennel Club to diversify and strengthen other income streams – an opportunity I am excited and energised by.”
As part of its transformation journey, The Kennel Club reaffirmed its focus on strengthening two of its most recognisable assets, the Royal prefix and the global appeal of Crufts. These iconic brands will play a central role in enhancing public engagement and modernising the organisation’s presence, helping The Kennel Club become more relevant and impactful to today’s dog owning community.
Members were briefed on initiatives to position Crufts as a vibrant, year-round lifestyle brand and to further develop The Kennel Club as a premium, heritage-led identity. Both efforts are designed to broaden reach, increase consumer relevance, and drive long term growth, all while preserving the traditions and values at the heart of the Club’s history.
The AGM also spotlighted the success of Crufts, with Crufts Chairman, Tom Mather, providing an overview of the 2025 event, which attracted more than 18,500 entries and over 155,000 visitors. Tom said: “I would like to pay tribute to all of The Kennel Club staff and in particular, the Events team. Their professionalism and dedication to the show is superb. You all do so much to promote dogs and our organisation, and on behalf of all the member of The Kennel Club, I salute you.”
At the AGM, the following 10 members were elected to the Board of Directors.
Mrs Yvonne Rawley MBE
Mr Stuart McCabe-Bell
Mr Nick Brooks-Ward
Dr Ian Gabriel
Mr David Craig
Dr Andreas Schemel
Mr Ian Seath
Mrs Jennifer Millard
Mr Jon Bailey
Mr Richard Allen
Of the directors listed above, the first eight named have been elected for a three-year term whilst Mr Jon Bailey and Mr Richard Allen has been elected for a two-year term.
Other business conducted at the AGM included the election of five Honorary Life Members of The Kennel Club as follows:
Mr Vince Hogan
Dr Val Marrian
Lord Watson of Richmond
The Duchess of Devonshire
Mr Paul Rawlings
The following three Vice Presidents of The Kennel Club were re-elected:
Professor Steve Dean BVetMed MRCVS DVR
The Lord Kirkham CVO
Sir John Spurling KCVO OBE
Tony Allcock OBE closed the AGM on a note of thanks to The Kennel Club directors who have tirelessly volunteered their time to the organisation and to the executive and staff colleagues who have made all the progress possible and demonstrated their dedication and loyalty throughout.
The AGM concluded with a tribute to retiring directors, Tony Allcock OBE and Paul Rawlings, acknowledging their years of dedication and outstanding service.
The full report of the AGM will be included in the September issue of The Kennel Club Journal which will be available on The Kennel Club website.