Introducing the Young Gamblers Education Trust
We are a brand new pioneering youth charity, established to inform, educate and safeguard against problem gambling among young people and support those affected by a gambling habit or addiction. The charity is born out of a devastating personal gambling addiction and the drive to help others.
Opportunities for young people to gamble are all around us. With Casino’s open 24 hours a day in every major city, betting shops on almost every High Street and a tenfold rise in on-line gambling among tech savvy young people, the need for the Young Gamblers Education Trust is absolutely critical.
Many young people whom have a gambling habit that risks becoming an addiction remain silent and do not reach out for help. Unlike addictions to drugs or alcohol that we can physically see in people and have a perception off and some understanding, there are no physical symptoms and vertically no understanding of gambling addictions. That is why it is called the ‘hidden addiction’ and it affects a staggering 60,000 young people each year.
There is no statutory proactive education in schools, universities and youth clubs in the UK as to the potential dangers of gambling. There are some support services available, but these are attended by people aged 30 years and over predominately who have very different needs to young people. Additionally these support services are only accessed when the habit becomes an addiction and that addiction is firmly rooted. While the Young Gamblers Education Trust will work with those affected with a firmly rooted addiction, we believe proactive education is critical to prevent more young people succumbing to the powerful nature of this addiction.
The Young Gamblers Education Trust will
- Promote proactive safe gambling awareness education through the design and delivery of accredited programmes in educational settings such as schools (Primary and Secondary), colleges, universities and youth clubs.
- Work with the Department for Education, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Local Authorities, private providers (i.e. companies running Academies or groups managing Free Schools) and partner organisations to (i) provide teacher training and (ii) develop a range of teaching materials and resources to be used by teachers allowing for gambling awareness education to be effectively taught in schools.
- Working with partner organisations, Department for Education and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to secure gambling awareness education as a topic within the PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) curriculum in England and Wales at Key Stage 3 & 4.
- Work with a range of partner organisations to develop and deliver highly effective peer mentoring, education and specialist support / signposting for young people affected by gambling.
The Educational Need
*Over 60,000 young people are suffering from gambling addictions in the UK
*Problem gambling is more prevent amoung young males (56%) and significantly those whom consider themselves to be BAME
*The British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2010
*Evidence shows that each young gambling addict affects at least 4 other people, so at least 240,000 people are affected
*Every young problem gambler represents an annual cost to society of c£8,000, so the total cost to the UK economy is at least c£480 million
Ryan, former gambling addict
‘I am a 20 years old and have gambled from the age of about 14 years, nearly half of my entire life! I would spend every weekend in the arcades near where I lived when I was growing up and when I discovered online gambling about two years ago my life took a turn for the worse. I spent my student loans on gambling, racked up huge debts on credit cards and from payday loan companies and had to drop out of University as I could not afford to support myself. I consider myself young enough to start again and have a second chance at studying; that is what I am now doing, but this time without gambling……..’
Lee Willows, Founder, Young Gamblers Education Trust
‘I have worked predominantly in the Third Sector for over 23 years, progressing from a front line youth worker and teacher to holding senior level Director and a Chief Executive position. I have led the work of complex national charities and am hugely committed too and passionate about young people and education. Working at the top of my game I was raising significant amounts of money for charity and had a good network of influential stakeholders and friends. However in 2013 I developed a short, but devastating gambling addiction which turned my life upside down. I gambled away significant amounts of money and even stole money to feed my addiction. I come from a very good family background and when I told people what I had done everybody was truly shocked. This is nothing like this whatsoever in our family history. Given my actions and what I had become, I planned to take my life on two occasions but was saved by my parents and partner.
My gambling addiction had taken me from being at the top of my game to being inside a prison cell. I am heartbroken by what I did and all the people I had let down which will stay with me forever. Born out of this incredibly devastating experience and a huge ‘fall from grace’ the Young Gamblers Education Trust is born. I will write more about my story in the coming weeks as this website is launched.
Have I changed?
Absolutely I am more humble than ever before and have an ever greater understanding of those suffering from addictions. I received eight months’ worth of treatment from the only National Problem Gambling Clinic in the UK run by the NHS. Their support has helped me on my journey hugely. I am also grateful to many former addicts whom I have met over the past year, their heart-breaking stories and enormous courage to continue with life has been an inspiration. Now gambling free, I intend to put my passion for young people’s education and skills gained throughout my career to establish the Young Gamblers Education Trust in order to promote responsible gambling and save others taking the fall I did’.
© 2015 Young Gamblers Education Trust.