GambleAware invests £1.5 million for a partnership with Citizens Advice
On the 24th September in London, GambleAware announced a new two-year deal which will see it join forces with Citizens Advice, to help debt advisors better understand, prevent or reduce gambling related harms – in a deal worth £1.5 million. This service will be rolled out across a total of nine regions in England and Wales and it will provide the tools to identify (and support people at risk) and provide training to companies needed to frontline debt advisors. The news of the partnership broke after a successful 6-year pilot GamebleAware ran in conjunction with Newport Citizens Advice, where it delivered gambling support services.
‘Gambling Can Have Life Changing Effects’
Dr Jane Rigbye, Director of Education at GambleAware said: “The debt advice workforce has an enormous role to play in supporting and reducing the likelihood of people experiencing gambling-related harms, as do many professions who come into contact with the general public on a daily basis. Encouraging and enabling staff in all public-facing settings to be aware of the possibility that the presenting problems could be related to gambling is key in helping to tackle this issue. I am particularly delighted that we will continue to work with Katie Fry to lead this programme, and with her team at Newport Citizens Advice’s Gambling Support Service as we roll out the programme at far greater scale.”
Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice said: “Gambling can have life-changing effects, not just on the individual but also their families and friends. People seek our help to deal with the practical problems that come out of this – including increased debt and relationship breakdown. “We are pleased to be partnering with GambleAware to develop services across England and Wales. These will help our staff make a real difference to people struggling with gambling.”
Katie Fry, Manager of the Newport Citizens Advice Gambling Support Service said: “We know those we help with gambling often experience significant mental health problems. In two years, we’ve trained more than 2,000 advisors and volunteers to recognise gambling issues and help people to overcome them. I’m delighted the success of our project can now grow beyond South Wales.”
About GambleAware
GambleAware is an independent charity tasked to fund research, education and treatment services to help reduce gambling-related harm. This commissioning and grant-making body isn’t a provider of services, but with its services, it aims to better educate the public on the effects of gambling-related harms.
About Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice is a network of 316 independent charities throughout the United Kingdom, that give free, confidential information and advice to assist people with money, legal, consumer and other problems. The company aims to provide the advice people need for the problems they face and improve policies and practices that affect people’s lives.