Who we are
The trusted go-to guide
At the BBFC, our focus is on helping children and families choose well by providing them with the guidance they need to help them choose what’s right for them and avoid what’s not.
With the huge growth in film, video and online content, and in how and where we can watch and use it, this is becoming more important than ever.
Through our experience, regular consultations and research, we are careful to reflect the views of people right across the country. We understand what matters to families and apply this knowledge in setting our standards.
We take the integrity and impartiality of our work very seriously and over the more than 100 years of our history, we have increasingly come to be recognised as the go-to guide that people can trust.
The structure of the BBFC and its management is designed to both reflect and reinforce this.
Our Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is drawn from the cinema, television, video on demand (VoD) and media industries, and from the banking, accountancy and charity sectors.
The Board administers our financial affairs and is responsible for senior appointments at the BBFC, but plays no part in age rating decisions and policy making.
Its members are: Mel Alcock (Chair), Patrick Swaffer, David Austin, Lesley Mackenzie, John Aalbers, Gloria De Piero, and Claire Tavernier.

Mel Alcock
Chair

Lesley Mackenzie
Board member

John Aalbers
Board member

Gloria De Piero
Board member

Claire Tavernier
Board member
The Board of Classification
The Board of Classification consists of the BBFC’s Chief Executive, the President and two Vice Presidents, and has statutory responsibility for classifying video content under the Video Recordings Act 1984 (VRA). Its members are appointed by the Board of Directors and the full Board is consulted on difficult decisions.

Patrick Swaffer
The President

Murphy Cobbing
Vice President

Lord Patel
Vice President

David Austin
Chief Executive
The Executive Leadership
The Executive Leadership team is empowered to make executive decisions in the Chief Executive's absence.

Dave Barrett
Deputy CEO

Siobhan Smedley-Wild
Finance Director

Faye Harcourt
Director of Marketing and Outreach
Other Principal Officers

Sarah Peacock
Compliance and Education Manager

Chris Davies
Compliance Manager

Tom Cairns
Head of Business Services

Matthew Blakemore
Head of Product
Compliance Officers
Compliance Officers view content and recommend classifications, cuts and other actions, such as proof of age checks for performers. They carry out a range of tasks, including writing ratings info, data entry, and checking online platforms to ensure voluntary compliance with BBFC classifications. They tend to be graduates, but this is not always the case. No specific qualifications are required, however experience in relevant areas such as media regulation, law or child development is important.
Associated Bodies
The Advisory Panel on Children's Viewing (APCV)
The APCV was set up by the BBFC in 1999 to provide advice on issues relating to classifying content for children. The panel consists of members with a range of relevant professional expertise and responsibilities.
The Video Packaging Review Committee (VPRC)
Established in 1987, the VPRC is administered by the BBFC. It is a voluntary system, designed to prevent offence to members of the public caused by explicitly violent or sexual imagery being displayed in public places on the covers of videos and DVDs. It also checks that submitted video packaging complies with relevant legislation regarding the display of age ratings.
Cinema posters for films classified with an age rating of 18 are also reviewed by a joint BBFC-industry body.