GamCare awarded over £4m from OHID fund: “There is vital work to be done”

GamCare has been provisionally awarded more than £4m ($5.37m) by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) VCSE Gambling Harms Prevention and Resilience Fund.

The funds would allow GamCare to expand its service through two particular programmes, a community outreach scheme and specialist support for people whose lives have been affected by someone else’s gambling.

The community outreach scheme would deploy practitioners across Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, London, and the South East to help support underserved communities and grassroots services. 

The practitioners would host awareness activities, structured early-intervention conversations, and referral support, designed to reach people at the earliest possible stage.

Individuals with lived experience would also be invited from local communities to help support the programme and make it sustainable in the long term.

As for the second programme, GamCare recognises that around four million people in England alone are affected by someone else's gambling.

They will often reach out to seek help regarding the consequences, such as debts, mental health strain or the dissolution of relationships, but many do not seem to target the root cause of the issue. 

GamCare will develop online resources that include peer support sessions and professional insights to help support the friends and families of those affected by problem gambling.

Victoria Corbishley, GamCare CEO, said: “This provisional award, once confirmed, would help us to reduce the gap between harm and help for thousands of people across England. 

“Whether someone is struggling themselves or trying to support a loved one, they deserve timely, compassionate, specialist support.

“Around one in seven calls we receive to GamCare’s National Gambling Helpline come from people affected by someone else’s gambling, and we know there is vital work to be done to reach and support more in that situation. This funding would help us to do that, and to build the evidence and insight that will strengthen the sector’s response for years to come.”