GamCare Youth Programme reaches 100,000 attendees milestone
Launched in April 2020, GamCare runs the Youth Programme in partnership with UK regional providers Aquarius, Ara, Beacon and NECA. The initiative trains teachers, youth workers and other professionals to help young people make informed choices about gambling.
The workshops deliver information about gambling and its associated harms, with a focus on the potential dangers for young people. Themes include the negative impact of gambling on individuals and families, as well as raising awareness of the support services available.
GamCare said the programme has also delivered specialist training to approximately 25,000 professionals. This, GamCare says, helps ensure those in positions of influence have the skills necessary to address gambling-related issues in the young people they support.
The Youth Programme operates as part of the Young People’s Gambling Harm Prevention Programme, the partnership between GamCare and Ygam.
“We are incredibly proud of the work the Young People’s Gambling Harm Prevention Programme has accomplished in raising awareness about the risk and prevalence of gambling for young people,” GamCare’s head of youth, Alexa Roseblade, said.
“Equipping 100,000 young people with the facts about gambling, supporting them to make informed decisions and giving them the knowledge of where to go if they need help is a significant achievement in our ongoing efforts to keep young people safe.”
GamCare contacts reach record high
The revelation comes after GamCare last month also announced a rise in calls and online chats to its National Gambling Helpline. Some 44,049 calls were made in the year ended 31 March 2023, the highest level on record.
In total, 82,505 calls, chats and treatment sessions were delivered in the 12-month period. Some 64,374 people were trained in gambling awareness throughout the year, which included 45,562 at-risk children and young people.
The total number of people who attended treatment in the period also grew, increasing by 0.4% year-on-year to 9,009.
The 26-35 age group made the highest level of contact with the helpline, at 41.7%. Next was the 36-45 group at 22.9%, then 25 and under at 15.4%.