London, 9 November 2022: Professionals trained through the Young People’s Gambling Harm Prevention Programme will reach an estimated 2 million young people using the educational resources and intervention training, latest figures show.
Delivery partners YGAM and GamCare continue to exceed targets with the two charities having now trained over 24,000 professionals who have care or influence over young people. These delegates, including teachers and youth workers, have pledged to deliver the evidence-based materials directly to young people in a range of settings. Additionally, the programme has delivered gambling harm awareness workshops directly to over 48,000 young people.
Over 10,000 teachers have been trained so far, and the programme resources are used to deliver lessons as part of the latest PSHE curriculum in schools.
Data collected by YGAM shows that 99% of delegates feel confident about spotting the signs of gambling harms after completing the training. Furthermore, 97% of delegates said they felt confident talking to young people about the topic and 97% of delegates could signpost and support young people if they have concerns. Additionally, 97% of professionals who received the GamCare training said they now have a better understanding of how gambling harm impacts young people.
The programme also supports parents, carers and families with awareness sessions and resources, with specialist training delivered to those supporting Looked After Children developed by care experienced individuals. One social worker who completed the training said: “These resources are extremely useful when interacting with our families – I can utilise them for my own knowledge and to expand the awareness of our families.”
GamCare also provide a dedicated support service to young people aged 11 to 18 who are worried about their gambling or the gambling of someone close to them. A parent who recently used the service described it as “a fantastic resource that should be widely available to any and all young people who need it, and there are many young people who would benefit from this kind of intervention and support, preventing further issues of gambling occurring”.
Kyle Riding, Head of National Education Programme at YGAM, said: “It’s another fantastic milestone reached for the programme. The team delivering this programme includes former teachers, safeguarding leads, youth leaders and individuals with lived experience of gambling harms, so it is so rewarding to see the impact of their hard work. There continues to be huge interest and demand for the training and resources and I’m confident we will continue to achieve our objectives to effectively safeguard and support millions of young people.”
Alexa Roseblade, Senior Manager at GamCare, said: “Alongside YGAM, we passionately believe that education on the risks associated with gambling is an essential part of tackling gambling-related harms, and that every young person in the UK should receive at least one education session on it. The key to helping young people make informed choices about their participation in gambling and preventing gambling harms is to give them the facts about gambling and gaming and build their critical thinking skills and digital resilience.”
Funded by members of the Betting & Gaming Council, the programme is on track to educate and safeguard an estimated four million young people by 2024. YGAM and GamCare are two independent charities, with robust governance structures, ensuring all resources and materials are independent of industry influence, evidence-led and informed by lived experience.
